Week 1: Introducing the Byzantine icon

Introduction: the geography of the icon

In 1054, Christianity was divided into two distinct Churches: the Roman Catholic Church, with the Pope in Rome at its head; and the Orthodox Church, with the Patriarch in Constantinople at its head. One of the main reasons for the divide, known as the ‘Great Schism’, was a disagreement on the descent of the Holy Ghost. The Catholic Church believes that the Holy Ghost descends from both God the Father and the Son, while the Orthodox Church maintains that it only descends from God the Father (Cameron, 2006, p. 45, p. 112, p. 194–5; Hunt, 2010, p. 75).

The two Churches succeeded in establishing their strongholds in different European territories, and subsequently expanding the sphere of their influence. As such, the Orthodox Church is closely associated with the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire. Spanning over 1100 years (330–1453), it is the longest surviving empire in European history. Three main factors unified this vast and multicultural Empire: the ruling emperor and its capital Constantinople; the Greek language, which had replaced Latin as the imperial language by the early seventh century; and its religion, Christian Orthodox, under the guidance of its spiritual leader, the Patriarch. One of the most important and defining sacred aids in Christian Orthodox worship was – and still remains – the icon. This free course, The Byzantine icon, will introduce the establishment of the icon in the Byzantine Empire, and its role in art history.