Underlying those differences were two more powerful considerations, neither of which could be ignored. Iconophiles believed that the icons were only images. Robin Cormack and Ernest J. W. Hawkins, The Mosaics of St. Sophia at Istanbul: The Rooms above the Southwest Vestibule and Ramp, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 31 (1977): 175251. Famous figures such as John of Damascus and Theodore the Studite were famous iconophiles that opposed the iconoclastic Byzantine emperor. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. As a consequence, Rome lost religious control over the Balkans, except on its west coast. The iconophile and iconoclast debate started to get violent. Dura-Europos Synagogue | Architecture, Features, & Preservation, The Bayeux Tapestry & the Battle of Hastings | Overview & History, Carolingian Art | Overview, Renaissance & Characteristics, The Influence of Monastic Orders on Romanesque Art & Architecture, Christian Monasticism | History, Impact & Orders, Justinian & Theodora | Marriage, Facts & Mosaics, Byzantine Empire | Timeline, Culture & Facts. WebIn the Byzantine world, Iconoclasm refers to a theological debate involving both the Byzantine church and state. For John, the validity of images is based on the belief that Christ and humankind itself are images of God, material manifestations of a spiritual ideal. By keeping the worshipper's focus on the entity at hand, the icons served as an aid to worship, much as some Eastern religions use a focal point to aid in meditation. The debate finally ended in 843, when Empress Theodora reasserted the role of icons in religious practice. 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. While Singapore's iconic Raffles Hotel may be marketed as a tranquil throwback to a bygone age, it also reveals the complicated truths of imperialism. Taking root in the political and religious elites in Constantinople, this movement had a long-lasting effect on the medieval world. Hostname: page-component-5d895b6665-bmwt6 The controversy spanned roughly a century, during the years 72687 and 81543. Michaels contribution to the iconoclast movement was banning the discussion of icons, and Theophilos renewed the persecutions of those who worshiped them. Such accounts support the view that these mosaic revisions were neither a result of Byzantine iconoclasm nor the product of forcefully imposed Muslim policies, but rather the result of interactions between Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities in Jordan and Palestine. Did the Byzantine Empire practice Christianity. We believe that the brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background. Stone tesserae. 1. Iconoclastic activity can be directly observed in the mosaics of the church of the Dormition (or Koimesis) at Nicaea (znik, Turkey). View all Google Scholar citations } JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. A Timeline of European Architecture in the Middle Ages, Barnett Newman: Spirituality in Modern Art, Get to Know Constantin Brancusi: Patriarch of Modern Sculpture, Early Religious Art: Monotheism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, The Divine Art of Austerity and Piety in the Byzantine Empire (330-1453 AD), Beyond Constantinople: Life In the Byzantine Empire. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Cite this page as: Dr. Evan Freeman, "Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Triumph of Orthodoxy," in, Not your grandfathers art history: a BIPOC Reader, Reframing Art History, a new kind of textbook, Guide to AP Art History vol. Between the 720s and 760s, the mosaic floors in these buildings, which originally included depictions of humans and animals, were at least partially rearranged to depict inanimate subjects like vegetation. Iconoclasm Some historians believe that by prohibiting icons, the Emperor sought to integrate Muslim and Jewish populations. Visiting Van Goghs Cypresses? They pictured the Virgin and Child standing on a jeweled footstool in the apse. In the 8th and 9th centuries CE, thousands of icons were destroyed during the Iconoclasm. Iconoclasm Therefore, if you were looking at an icon of Mary, you were actually seeing Mary herself. Feature Flags: { Indeed, the most important one came from the Old Testament and one of Gods 10 Commandments: The other arguments came in the form of the Neoplatonist teachings of 3rd-century philosopher Plotinus. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. The iconoclastic emperor Theophilos died in 842. The Lombard advance, it may be remembered, had restricted Byzantine authority in Italy to the exarchate of Ravenna, and to that quarter the popes of the 7th century, themselves ordinarily of Greek or Syrian origin, turned for protection against the common enemy. Purposely caricatured with hair sticking out on all sides, Patriarch John attempts to erase the image of Christ with the same pole and sponge the Roman soldier uses in the scene of Crucifixion. Secular concerns also played a role in the iconoclasm debate. Emperor Constantine V, who reigned from 741775, rebuilt Hagia Eirene in the mid to late 750s. Notable iconophiles include John of Damascus and Theodore the Studite. Render date: 2023-08-21T13:23:34.960Z What Caused Iconoclasm Gods Messenger: Meeting Kids Needs is a brand new web site created especially for teachers wanting to enhance their students spiritual walk with Jesus. Investiture Controversy Overview & Conflict | What is Investiture? Constantine V took the Roman ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Balkans and gave it to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Triumph You shall not make for yourself a carved imageany likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth. John argued that while the Hebrew scriptures indeed prohibited the depiction of God on the basis of His invisibility, the appearance of God in Jesus Christ enabled God to be both seen and depicted. Paul A. Underwood, The Evidence of Restorations in the Sanctuary Mosaics of the Church of the Dormition at Nicaea, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 13 (1959): 235243. During these 113 years, with a short intermission between 787 and 815, iconography, the more than 4 centuries-long artistic tradition of the Eastern Roman Empire suffered great losses. However, a few decades later, under the reign of Empress Irene in 787, the Second Council of Nicaea condemned the Council of Hieria and argued for the continued use and veneration of icons, distinguishing the devotion (proskynesis) given to icons from the worship (latreia) given to God alone. This would violate the second commandment, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images. Another zealous champion of icons was Theodore the Studite, the abbot of the Stoudios monastery in Constantinople. Luckily, Leo III had a new military invention called Greek Fire, which helped the Byzantines win an important naval battle. Western Christianity doesnt have an official equivalent. During the Byzantine Iconoclasm from 725 CE to 843 CE, there was great debate and even violence between iconophiles and iconoclasts. Even though Leo III ignited the iconoclastic fervor, it peaked during the reign of his son Constantine V. Constantine took it upon himself to write 13 theological treatises on Iconoclasm. 51-62, Berghahn Books in association with the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Any such representation would thus be an idol, essentially a false representation or false god. Photios condemned the iconoclasts for Stripping the Church, Christs bride, of her own ornaments [i.e. Being born in Germanikeia, where the iconoclast tradition of monophysitism was widespread, Leo III had already shown intentions of pursuing this path. Iconoclasm Iconis Greek for image or painting and during the medieval era, this meant a religious image on a wooden panel used for prayer and devotion. Thus, Pope Stephen II (or III) anointed Pippin as king of the Franks in 754, and the latter entered Italy to take arms against the Lombard king. During the late 6th and 7th centuries, iconodule emperors had viewed themselves in a pietistic fashion, emphasizing their devotion and subservience to God. 3 Dagron, Gilbert, Holy images and likeness, Dumbarton Oaks Papers xlv (1991), 2333CrossRefGoogle Scholar. Today, the largest existing collection of Byzantine icons is housed at St. Catherine's monastery. Byzantine iconoclasm was revived again in 815, but was ultimately condemned in 843. When Art Divided an Empire: What Was Iconoclasm in Byzantium? Mosaics of plain crosses can also be found in other churches in Constantinople, including the Hagia Sophia. It has also been observed that the revised images depicting vegetation are very similar to mosaic images in Umayyad mosques, like those in the Friday Mosque in Damascus. Even the restoration of icon veneration in 787 failed to bridge the differences between Orthodox Byzantium and Catholic Europe, for the advisers of Pippins son and successor, Charlemagne, condemned the iconodule position as heartily as an earlier generation had rejected the iconoclast decrees of Leo III. The icons had to be destroyed. This portrayal of Christ the Merciful from the Bodemuseum in Berlin is an example of an icon. Representation, after all, can boil down to a question of power: who gets to represent what? Krum died suddenly in 814 as he was preparing an attack upon Constantinople, and his son, Omortag, arranged a peace with the Byzantine Empire in order to protect the western frontiers of his Bulgar empire against the pressures exerted by Frankish expansion under Charlemagne and his successors. one would not be far wrong.Photios, Homily 17, 3. Phase 3 (purple) Sometime after the Triumph of Orthodoxy in 843, the cross was replaced with another image of the Virgin and Child. Iconoclasm A typical Byzantine icon subject is Christ Pantocrator, or Christ, the Creator of All. "corePageComponentGetUserInfoFromSharedSession": true, We created Smarthistory to provide students around the world with the highest-quality educational resources for art and cultural heritagefor free. His son, Michael III, was too young to rule alone, so empress Theodora (Michael IIIs mother), and the eunuch Theoktistos (an official), ruled as regents until Michael III came of age. Once Ravenna fell to the Lombards, and the exarchate ceased to exist in 751, the papacy had to seek a new protector. Apa Abraham, c. 590600, watercolor on panel, Egyptian (Bode Museum, Berlin). Clearly, while the iconoclasts opposed certain types of religious imagery, they did not reject art entirely, and were sometimes important patrons of art and architecture, as was Constantine V. There is also evidence that emperor Theophiloswho reigned during the second phase of Iconoclasmexpanded and lavishly decorated the imperial palace and other spaces. iconoclasm synonyms, iconoclasm pronunciation, iconoclasm translation, English dictionary definition of iconoclasm. His empire lost over half of the territory Justinian conquered not even 200 years earlier. And pagans could argue that veneration of the Cross, say, was another form of wood-worship, not so different from worshipping trees. The same year, Leo V summoned the second Council of Iconoclasts, overturning the decisions of the 7th Ecumenical Council, casting an anathema on its participants, and proclaiming the Council of Hieria as legitimate. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. The consequent loss to the treasury weighed all the more severely, since victories won by the Arabs in Asia Minor (781) and by the Bulgars (792) led both peoples to demand and receive tribute as the price of peace. Icons (Greek for images) refers to the religious images of Byzantium, made from a variety of media, which depict holy figures and events. But it was clear that this prohibition was not absolute since God also instructs how to make three dimensional representations of the Cherubim (heavenly spirits or angels) for the Ark of the Covenant, which is also quoted in the Old Testament, just a couple of chapters after the passage that prohibits images (Exodus 25:1820). JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our articles for free on JSTOR. According to the traditional view, Byzantine Iconoclasm was started by a ban on religious images promulgated by the Byzantine Emperor Leo III the Isaurian , [3] and continued under his successors. Michael was the first emperor to bear a family name, and his use of the patronymic, Rhangabe, bears witness to the emergence of the great families, whose accumulation of landed properties would soon threaten the integrity of those smallholders upon whom the empire depended for its taxes and its military service. Please visit our K-12 lessons and worksheets page. Evidence suggests this second phase of Iconoclasm was more mild than the first. Michael did not long survive that moment of triumph. The Council of Nicaea in 787 restored iconodule doctrine at the instigation of the empress Irene, but military reversals led Leo V to resurrect in 815 the iconoclastic policies associated with Constantine V, one of Byzantiums most-successful generals. (State Historical Museum, Moscow). The immediate issues between the two sees were matters of ecclesiastical supremacy, the liturgy, and clerical discipline; behind those sources of division lay the question of jurisdiction over the converts in Bulgaria. An icon is a portrayal of a religious figure, particularly of Christ, meant as an aid to worship. Photographs: John Wreford / Courtesy of Finbarr B. John of Damascus even went as far as to tell the emperor to keep his nose out of church business. By the late seventh century, the Church began to legislate on images. The mosaic in Hagia Sophia and the homily by Photios both illustrate how the iconophilesthe victors of the Iconoclastic Controversyframed their victory as a triumph of religious orthodoxy, perhaps exaggerating the offenses of the iconoclasts along the way for rhetorical effect. All those may explain the weakness displayed throughout Theophiluss reign, when a Muslim army defeated the emperor himself (838) as a prelude to the capture of the fortress of Amorium in Asia Minor. The ablest defender of the iconodule position was, however, the 8th-century theologian St. John of Damascus. Iconoclasm varies significantly amongst faiths and their branches but is highest in religions that abhor idolatry, such as the Abrahamic religions. The iconoclasts, or image breakers, were concerned that the use of icons went beyond a focal point and had become an object of worship themselves. His successor, Michael I Rhangabe (811813), fared little better; internal dissensions broke up his army as it faced Krum near Adrianople, and the resulting defeat cost Michael his throne. The first phase of Iconoclasm: 720s787 Historical texts suggest the struggle over images began in the 720s. centers, Smarthistory is the most-visited art history resource in the world. However, anyone who was an iconophile supported icons and wanted to keep worshiping them. And so it goes, for religion is predicated on rules, and the question has always been: who makes these rules, who defines the theology? WebThe First Iconoclasm, as it is sometimes called, occurred between about 726 and 787, while the Second Iconoclasm occurred between 814 and 842. Lots of Adventist Pioneer stories, black line master handouts, and teaching notes. Her iconodule policies alienated many among the themal troops, who were still loyal to the memory of the great warrior emperor, Constantine V. In an effort to maintain her popularity among the monkish defenders of the icons and with the population of Constantinople, she rebated taxes to which those groups were subject, and she reduced the customs duties levied outside the port of Constantinople, at Abydos and Hieros. Arguments relied mostly on the Old Testament prohibition (quoted above). Not only did John oppose Iconoclasm but the Islamic prohibition of images as well. Constantinople had followed the Orthodox view established at the Council of Nicaea, but this later changed. Unlike the average monk, they were often educated laymen, trained in the imperial service and ready to compromise with imperial authority. The image represents the Iconoclast theologian, John the Grammarian, and an iconoclast bishop destroying an image of Christ. The immediate destruction wrought by Constantine and his zealous subordinates is, however, of less moment than the lasting effect of the persecution on the Orthodox clergy. Read the additional visitor guidelines. I feel like its a lifeline. Iconophiles (Greek for lovers of images), also known as iconodules (Greek for servants of images), refers to those who supported the use of religious images. To which, in consequence, would they owe their spiritual allegiance? The Harvard Theological Review, Vol. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 More specifically, icons came to typify the art of the Orthodox Christian Church. Today, St. Catherine's Monastery has the largest collection of Byzantine icons due to its distance from the Iconoclasm. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Debating for over a century whether religious images should or should not be allowed may puzzle us today. It was instead a response to intertwined issues of politics, religious oppression, and economic factors. The Iconoclasm is the period in Byzantine history when the validity of icons was debated. While Byzantine iconoclasm was primarily concerned with the veneration of images of Christ and the saints, the rearranging of the mosaics in question seems directed against depiction of any animate figures. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. We also recommend using Mozillas Firefox Internet Browser for this web site. Even though he changed his standing on icons in a few instances, Theodore composed a polemic discourse, the Refutatio, refuting the arguments of the new Iconoclasts. For the next two generations, Eastern and Western Christianity were embroiled in the iconoclast versus iconodule (iconophile) debate. Theodore Abu Qurrah, who wrote in Arabic in defense of Christian image veneration at the beginning of the ninth century, gives accounts of Christians who, in response to Muslim teachings, refused to venerate icons. Emperor Leo V initiated a second period of iconoclasm in 814, but in 843, Empress of Theodora proclaimed the restoration of icons and affirmed the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical council. The first image introduced to the Hagia Sophia was the Virgin and Child in the apse around 867. ITHAKA. Did the reach of Constantinople's policies really extend beyond the borders of its military control? This event is still celebrated in the Orthodox Church as the Feast of Orthodoxy. Hagia Eirene, begun 532, rebuilt following an earthquake in 740, Constantinople (Istanbul) (photo: Alexxx1979, CC BY-SA 4.0), Hagia Eirene, begun 532, rebuilt following an earthquake in 740, Constantinople (Istanbul) (photo: Gryffindor, CC0). The fundamentals of Iconoclasm were by no means an 8th-century discovery. Complete class lesson plans for each grade from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Iconoclasts and iconodules agreed on one fundamental point: a Christian people could not prosper unless it assumed the right attitude toward the holy images, or icons. Figure 1. We pray these resources will enrich the lives of your students, develop their faith in God, help them grow in Christian character, and build their sense of identity with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. If one called this day the beginning and day of Orthodoxy . We have provided a download link below to Firefox 2 installer. - Biography, Books & Quotes, The Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536: Facts & Overview, Guy Fawkes Night Poem: Meaning & Analysis, The Rye House Plot of 1683: Definition & Impact, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, Describe the events of the Byzantine Iconoclasm. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. But the iconophiles asserted that when Christians honored images of Christ and the saints like this, they did not worship the artwork as such, but honored the holy person represented in the image. The reign of Michael III (ruled 842867) draws together those and other threads from the past. If you think there should be more material, feel free to help us develop more! Make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader v.5 or above installed on your computer for viewing and printing the PDF resources on this site. Even that brief summary suggests that the emperors fortunes on the battlefield were of no small moment in determining his attitude toward the icons, those channels whence superhuman power descended to man. Next to the lunette above the imperial door in Hagia Sophia are two other lunettes with crosses. Mosaics from the church on the acropolis in Main, Jordan, are examples of such partial revisions. You shall have no other gods before me. Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, c. 1400, Constantinople, tempera on wood, 39 x 31 x 5.3 cm (The British Museum). No longer a barbarian king, Charlemagne became, by virtue of the symbolism of the age, a new Constantine. Assisted by Omortag and relying upon the defenses of Constantinople, Michael defeated his enemy, but the episode suggests the tensions beneath the surface of Byzantine society: the social malaise, the ethnic hostility, and the persisting discord created by Iconoclasm. Jennifer Lorenzetti has taught graduate and undergraduate design, advertising, and art history for over 15 years. an enormous volcanic eruption hit the islands of Thera and Therasia, the estrangement of the Roman Catholic Church. Another source could have stemmed from the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea, a 4th-century historian and theologian who considered that the divine nature of Christ is incomprehensible. This decision likely had political underpinnings because the containment of the Muslims to the east of Constantinople could be seen as a sanction from God for the iconophile position. Constantine V, on the other hand, pridefully replaced the icons with imperial portraits and with representations of his own victories. Briefly put, the church became an institution rent by factions, wherein popular discontent found a means of expression. Copyright Cambridge University Press 2014, Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS; e-mail: judith.herrin@kcl.ac.uk, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046913001589, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. This includes personalizing your content. The name derives from Byzantine Iconoclasm, a conflict in the Byzantine Empire between supporters and opponents of religious images. Madonna with Christ, 9th century, mosaic, Hagia Sophia (Istanbul). Iconoclasm was embraced by Emperor Leo III, who ruled from 717-to 741 and instituted a plan of destroying existing icons. Figure and Likeness: On the Limits of Representation in Byzantine Iconoclasm. . In 787, the empress Irene convened a pro-image Church council, which negated the Iconoclast council held in Hieria in 754 and affirmed the use of religious images. Iconoclasm in eighth- and ninth-century Byzantium is often presented as a straightforward, universal policy that was widely enforced. Iconoclasm didnt only leave a dent in the history of Byzantine art. Iconophiles like John of Damascus and Theodore the Studite supported icons as images to worship. 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904. In the 8th century, the Eastern or Orthodox branch of Christianity gave historythe word iconoclasm, from the Greek words for icon smashing.. "useRatesEcommerce": true lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. She also has a Higher Education Teaching Certification from the Derek Bok Center at Harvard University. The pro-iconography Patriarch Germanos completely rejected such transgression against the Church of Constantinople, so he was replaced by the iconoclast Anastasios. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Have a correction or comment about this article?

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