This volume is a primary source for the history of the first byzantine iconoclasm (730-787) and the iconodoulic reaction (787-8150). The Life of Stephen the Younger, written in 809 by a deacon of St Sophia, offers a vivid portrayal of the reign of the iconoclast emperor Constantine V - the so called Christian emperor who destroyed Christ's image, against Stephen, the monk, who defended Christ until martyrdom. The author shows that this manichean presentation is not confirmed by other contemporary sources, which show that Stephen's opposition to Constantine was as political as it was...
This volume is a primary source for the history of the first byzantine iconoclasm (730-787) and the iconodoulic reaction (787-8150). The Life of Steph...