Contemporary Icons (VIIIth Century)

Adoration of the Magi, Rome
Crucifixion, Sinai
Annunciation, Rome
Virgin of Nicaea, Church destroyed in 1922


Byzantine art


Contemporary art


"The adoration of the Magi", mosaic of the oratory of John VII, Rome.

717 - Building of Agia Sophia, Thessaloniki.

First cappadocian wall paintings.

Wall paintings of St Maria-Antiqua, Rome. (Crucifixion)

Iconoclastic frescoes of St Kyriaki and St John, Naxos

Wall paintings of David-Garedja in Georgia.

Mosaics of Saints-Nerée-et-Achillée, Rome.


Building of the mosques of Damascus, Medina, Alep and Fostat.

Ommeyad wall paintings of Kusejr-Amra.

Books of Kells and Lindisfarne.

Codex Aureus of Canterbury.

Merovingian manuscripts: the "Sacramentary of Gelasius".

Gospel of Godescalc (Germany)

Nestorian frescoes in Tousfan (China).

Palatine chapel in Aix-la-Chapelle (France).


Political context

Life of the Church


705 - Reign of Justinien II

717 - Arabs lay siege to Constantinople. Reign of Leon III.

732 - Battle of Poitiers: end of the Arab expansion.

740 - Defeated at Akroinon, Arabs evacuate Asia Minor.

741 - Reign of Constantin IV.

751 - Lombards capture Ravenna. Byzance loses its Italian positions.

Dynasty of Abbassids. Foundation of Baghdad which replaces Damascus.

755 - War against Bulgarians.

768 - Charlemagne enthroned.

780 - Reign of Constantin VI. Condemnation of iconoclasm under the regency of Irene.

786 - Reign of Harun Al-Rachid, Caliph of Baghdad.

797 - Irene rules alone (797- 802).







726 - First period of iconoclasm.









Leo III bans the veneration of images. Persecution of the monks and confiscation of their goods.






787 - Second Council of Nicea restores the veneration of images.



794 - Council of Frankfurt:
Charlemagne, mistaken by an incorrect translation, accuses the Greeks of heresy.



Spiritual life


St Andrew of Gortyna died in 740

St John of Damascus died in 754

Birth of St Theodore Studite (?)

St Nikephoros was born in 758




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Last update : Tue, Dec 9, 2008, P. Grall © ASA 2000 - 2009 All rights reserved.