Dig Into History

18

writings were obliterated, when the iconophiles

— those who venerated icons — finally

triumphed. It may be that the iconoclasts felt

that Byzantium was being punished for what

they regarded as the worship of graven images.

After all, the Muslim Arabs, their most

formidable enemy, forbade art that included

images of people in their mosques.

Leo’s son, Constantine V, intensified the

policies of his father. He called a council in 754

to consolidate iconoclast belief and practice.

No to Icons!

But there was a time in the eighth century —

730 to be exact — when the Byzantine emperor

Leo III ordered priests to remove icons from

churches and destroy them. Why the

iconoclasts, as they were called, wanted icons

destroyed is not entirely clear. Many of their

by Sona Hoisington

ICONOCLASTS

ICONOPHILES

I

cons (icon is Greek for

“image”) are a key part of

worship in the Eastern

Church. Unlike in the

Western Church, they were

believed to perform miracles

and act as protectors of

homes and cities. Eastern

Christians thought that an

icon captured the essence of

the person depicted — such

as Jesus, his mother (Mary),

and his followers (the

Apostles). They believed that

communication with that

person could be established

through the adoration of the

icon. Icons are always

portrayed frontally, with emphasis

on the eyes.

bl d h h h l

Iconoclasts destroying icons