Global networks are not just a modern phenomenon—art, architecture, and material culture illustrate the many intercultural connections of the Early Byzantine period
Early Byzantine
Byzantine texts praise and slander the empress Theodora, who appears in this famous mosaic in Ravenna.
Empress Theodora, rhetoric, and Byzantine primary sources
Mosaics in Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy, and the religious conflict between the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines
Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna
Decorated with gold and enamel, this sumptuous Byzantine box once contained a relic of the True Cross
The Byzantine Fieschi Morgan cross reliquary
A beautifully illustrated compendium of texts made for a Byzantine princess
The Vienna Dioscurides
Learn why the Byzantines argued about images for over a century.
Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Triumph of Orthodoxy
His body swells beneath the cloth, but his feet hardly touch the ground. This awkward angel is part pagan, part Christian.
Ivory Panel with Archangel
Travel to the Sinai desert and discover the treasures of one of the world's oldest Christian monasteries
Art and architecture of Saint Catherine’s Monastery ...
Learn how territorial losses and the Iconoclastic Controversy impacted Byzantine architecture.
Byzantine architecture during Iconoclasm
The reign of emperor Justinian (527 - 565) saw dramatic new developments in Byzantine architecture.
Innovative architecture in the age of Justinian
Basilicas and new architectural forms appeared following the reign of emperor Constantine.
Early Byzantine architecture after Constantine
House churches, catacombs, basilicas - explore the origins of Byzantine architecture
The origins of Byzantine architecture
This Byzantine mosaic shows the personification of the act of generous giving — Ktisis
Byzantine Mosaic of a Personification, Ktisis
An Early Byzantine sculpture of a woman with a scroll at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Woman with Scroll
A sumptuous silver and gold chalice starring a youthful Christ, a saint slaying a dragon (could it be George?), and more.
A chalice from the Attarouthi Treasure
This energetic image of military victory captures a moment of transition between classical and Byzantine art.
The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory)
Here Christ, represented by the cross, reveals his divine nature to the Apostles—and to the 6th-century worshiper.
Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna (Italy)
Gold, glass, and marble dazzle the eye in this 6th-century church. High above us, Emperor Justinian presides.
San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic
Preserved in a desert monastery, this wax-on-wood icon leads the viewer upward and inward to the spiritual realm.
Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore ...
The golden dome of this vast building appears suspended from heaven. It has withstood quakes, conquest, and crusades.
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