The iconoclasm

‘The Isaurian’ Leo III ascended to the purple in 717, after forcing the abdication of his predecessor, Theodosius III. Inheriting the empire in a fragile state, he harboured deeply iconoclastic views, believing that icons or images should only be used to portray human subjects – any attempt to depict the divine would be tantamount to idol worship. This view was particularly prominent in the east, where most soldiers came from, and thereby shored up his support among the generals.

In 726 he went so far as to forbid representations of all saints, martyrs and angels, removing ‘miraculous’ icons and relics that had long been celebrated in the western provinces. It had been a controversial subject, one that had provoked harsh denunciations from the papacy, sparked riots in Constantinople and even led to rebellion in the Greek islands. When the icon of Christ Antiphonetes was removed from the capital’s Chalke Gate, officers were beaten to death by a mob of devout women, sparking a brutal response. Leo’s son Constantine was even more intolerant than his father, penalising monks – who treated icons with particular reverence – with exceptional severity. Monasteries were destroyed and monks made to marry, with some offenders even tortured, blinded and executed. In this manner, the army, government and clergy were, on the surface, brought into line with the emperor’s iconoclast leanings. West and east, however, remained more divided than ever.