Iconoclasm Of The Byzantine Church

The important thing about the Byzantine Empire is that it prospered for another 1000 years after the fall of Rome. The Roman Empire was split into the Byzantine Empire(East Roman Empire) by Diocletian to make it easier to rule the huge territory. The Emperor Constantine moved the capital to Constantinople, a city where many trade routes pass through. As a result, Constantinople was a rich and prosperous city and so was the empire. Emperor Justinian made a set of laws for all in the empire to follow called the Justinian Code. It covered almost every topic such as robberies, marriage, wills, and etcetera. Later in 1054, the Great Schism occurred splitting Christianity into the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church which was used in the Byzantine Empire. But the important thing about the Byzantine Empire is that it prospered for another 1000 years after the fall of Rome.

Early Christian and Byzantine art started after Jesusí death in the first century ranging and ending to the fourth century AD. The art produced during this period was secretive because Christianity was not a formal religion but as a cult; the Romans and rest of Europe persecuted Christians so the artist disguised their work with symbols and hints of Christian aspects. Christianity was the first cult to not involve rituals of sacrifice of animals and refused to worship an Emperor causing the Roman Empire to make Christianity illegal. Byzantine art excelled in the Justinian period in the east during 520-540 AD. The art was produced in Ravenna, Byzantine, Venice, Sicily, Greece, and Russia. The

Christianity experienced notable change during the Byzantine Era as a result of the fact that new ideas were introduced into the religion and because more and more cultural values from across the world started to pervade it. The religion was very different in Byzantium from how it was in the West principally because a series of Eastern ideas were adopted by Christian leaders. Christianity experienced a different development in the East when compared to the evolution that it experienced in the West. In the centuries lasting between the beginning of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire and the end of a small medieval state Christianity has practically been bombarded with Eastern ideas and with ideas that generally differed from the ones promoted in the West, eventually making it possible for "a distinct system of religious practice and devotion" (Krueger, 1) to emerge.

Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, a new empire rose up in the ashes. This new empire, the Byzantine Empire, was a culmination of Western Roman cultures and tradition, yet, it also contains many distinctive features. Originating from the same empire, the two empires display similar cultural roots.

The Byzantine Empire, seen as a direct continuation of the Roman Empire, lasted approximately from 500-1450 CE. This empire proved to be a valuable city for both the Greeks as well as the Romans. Throughout history, the Aegean Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, and Constantinople all impacted Roman history through constant trade and achievements. Other than trade, perfecting the oil industry, and the construction of aqueducts, conduits, and tunnels was other main achievements.

At the council, 338 members met to rule on the use of images to depict religious figures and ideas. This assembly, including Emperor Constantine and Leo, rules that “the unlawful art of painting living creatures blasphemed the fundamental doctrine of our salvation—namely, the Incarnation of Christ, and contradicted the six holy synods” (Iconoclastic Council, 1). The Iconoclastic Council bans the use of images and pictures to depict religious ideologies and figures because they feared that worshippers honored the image over the actual person, place, or thing represented. To support their argument, the council recalls the Holy Book in which God states, “Thou shall not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath…They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,…and served the creature more than the Creator” (2). Unlike John, this council uses stronger textual evidence from the Holy Book in order to validate their argument against icons. Furthermore, they argued that “folly” painter constructed the icons to undermine the icons. Council members aimed to demonstrate the icons as evil creations because religious affiliates did not construct them. Nevertheless, the council banned all images, relics, and other representations of

Post 1 - When Emperor Alexius I Comnenus was in power in 1095, Pope Urban II called together the Council of Clermont in France so that there would more help with defense against the Byzantines. He also called the military to go and take the Holy Land from the Turks.

Virgin and Child (Vladimir Virgin) is a medieval Byzantine icon. This icon is dated from the late 11th century and the early 12thcentury. This work is about a virgin and child, the Virgin being St. Mary and the child being Jesus Christ. Unlike other icons of the Virgin and Child, this icon shows a more personalized and compassionate image of the Virgin. Here St. Mary the virgin is shown to be tender even in the way she is holding the child. The iconographer is unknown. However, the icon was painted in Constantinople by a Hellenic iconographer. The Vladimir Virgin is the most eminent middle Byzantine icon that was produced in Russia.

The Byzantine Empire and the Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages were very similar and different. Both, shared three main things in common and three main things that were different, separating them from each other.

The Byzantine Empire modern day Turkey was an empire that was based on its own culture coming out of the Roman Empire. It was a strong Empire that came out of the Roman Empire along with Islam and Europe, each where apart of the Roman Empire, and each survived the fall of the Roman Empire: “By 750 three distinct and nearly separate civilizations- Byzantine, European, and Islamic- crystallized in and around the territory of the old Roman Empire.” . The Byzantine Empire was considered a small country at the time, but even so it was also considered tough. As a result of Byzantine being a part of the Roman Empire before the collapse of the Roman Empire, they represent a break from the old

During the Ottoman occupation of Greece there were many aspects of life that changed due to the new ruling power, but one aspect that strived to be unchangeable was the Greek Orthodox Church. With an occupation that spanned nearly 500 years and encompassed periods of great industrial and agricultural growth, it is clear Greece must have gone through changes. The Greek Orthodox Church was extremely resistant to change during the Ottoman rule due to its people’s belief that Greek identity lay within their faith, and conservation of their faith in the form of the Greek Orthodox Church was of the utmost importance. The Greek Orthodox Church was resistant to change under Ottoman rule despite its privileges due to the want to preserve Greek heritage, the peripheral support of Russia, and the hope to someday be free from Ottoman rule. Though the Greek Orthodox Church proclaimed to protect its followers, it was full of corruption and their favor was easily swayed by Mohammad II due to their hatred of the Catholics.

Since the emergence of Christianity in the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantines have been very influential in the art and architecture of religious buildings and their main propaganda tactic was art and architecture. Byzantine architecture features significantly in Constantinople ‘Istanbul’ buildings. Some prominent structures include the dome of the Hagia Sophia ‘Holy Wisdom’, Hagia Irene or Saint Irene church, Chora church and Pammakaristos Church. The Hagia ‘Saint’ Sophia was constructed in 360 BC under the reign of Emperor Justin which employed two creative and brilliant designers ‘Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles’ and at that time was the largest church in Constantinople before its destruction in 404AD due to riots but was later rebuilt

Byzantine Mosaics and San Marco Basilica Intro Mosaics have been present in Italy dating back to the Romans. They were originally used in palaces, temples, and other monumental structures as a way of decoration and paving of surfaces such as walls, ceilings, and floors, however they can also serve as pictorial art. Mosaics are pictures formed by marble, stones, and vitric tesserae of various colors, placed on a layer of stucco, putty or other durable building material.

The Arch of Constantine is located along the Via Triumphalis in Rome, situated between both the Colosseum and the Temple of Venus and Roma. Along the width of the arch, there are three arches with partially engaged Corinthian columns. The arch is about 20 meters high, 25 meters wide, and 7 meters deep. At the central opening, it is almost 12 meters high, with identical inscribed marble panels above, one on each side, that read:

What is iconoclasm? Iconoclasm can be defined: the destruction of visual representations of religion. The word is Greek for “image smashing.” More specifically meaning: the impulse to destroy images for political and religious purposes. This is due to the rejection of what the art piece represents. The controversy involving iconoclasm is the fear that people will worship the image represented instead of the object it represents. A reason for Iconoclasts (those who reject images) to follow iconoclasm comes from the second of the Ten Commandments, which discusses not worshipping the image of an idol rather than the idol itself [idol meaning God] (Icons and Iconoclasm, Iconoclastic Controversies, The Ten-Commandments).