One of the goals of Justinian emperor was to make sure he made a church that was bigger than all the others ever built. To achieve the goal, Justinian emperor hired the services of Isidore of Miletus who was a physicist and Anthemius of Tralles, who was a mathematician. The basilica was later used as a Roman Catholic cathedral (Mainstone 162).
From Procopius account it is evident that Justinian was committed to construction. Most of his outstanding constructions were churches in Constantinople, which included the Hagia Sophia. The presentation is categorical in noting that Justinian had to reconstruct the church after it was destroyed by Nika riots (Mainstone 162). As a result of all the works he made, it is evident that Justinian must have left a thing to be remembered by his subjects. One of the specific activities that might have caused his remembrance is the outstanding decorations that he had used on his constructions (Nelson 83). Some of the mosaics that Justinian made in the churches included him and his emperors. The artistic mosaics were spread to the rest of the Roman region.
One of the outstanding structures that would help Justinian Empire to be remembered was the dome of the church. Although it was destroyed by an earthquake, it was one of the architectural magnificent wonders that attracted a number of architects who adored it (Mainstone 165). Other than the dome, Lustration urns were also magnificent and they created the hyped interest on the church; the urns were curved out of marble blocks. The imperial gate to the structure was another outstanding structural phenomenon that had contributed to the respect accorded to the architects of the church and the emperor. The imperial gate is reported have been reserved for the emperors only. The upper gallery also had great mosaics that were used to preserve it. In addition to all the above stated artistic structures, Justinian emperor introduced figurative decorations on the walls. The decorations were different from those used by the other emperors. Some of the decorations included the image of Jesus at the centre of the dome. The church also had some of the greatest mosaics that included formed figures of Virgin Mary, saints and geometric images.
In all the structures and the differences introduced into the mode of construction of the third church, Justinian must have earned respect from his subjects not only because of his position as a ruler, but also as a role model (Nelson 100).
Roman emperor Julian the Apostate and Christian leader Antony both exhibited many qualities of character during their existence. Both of them led very distinctive lives although shared several ethical values. Book 25 of “The Later Roman Empire” and the book “Early Christian Lives” show concrete evidence of this. In the following essay, I will argue how both leaders’ lives were devoted to their religious beliefs and their mutual cardinal virtues.
The Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire, flourished as an impressive medieval civilization. This empire was rich with geography, culture, and trade connections due to its location in Constantinople, the isthmus between Asia and Europe. It also lasted for over a thousand years and reached its height and glory during the sixth century, under the reign of Justinian I (Justinian the Great) and his empress, Theodora. They both came from the lower class and gained status to work their way to being rulers of the empire. Justinian and Theodora are important figures in history because they ruled the Byzantine Empire at its height and made many reforms during that time which many still exist today.
When Emperor Constantine found the city of Constantinople, it was soon to become the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. But the Christin city needed a great church to represent it’s great value, so the Hagia Sophia was built (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Empire in 537 C.E., which was an Empire influenced greatly by the greek and roman styles (Krystek, Lee). It has a square base with a large dome on the top. Round arcs surrounded the large dome, adding mystical beauty to the Hagia Sophia (Krystek, Lee). Also, multiple colors of bricks were used to create patterns on the outside of the Hagia Sophia. On the inside, the walls are made of marble with glass panes which bring beautiful sunlight into the large museum (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia is very significant because it was rebuilt many times. The first church was built and then burnt down in 404 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). It was then rebuilt and burned down by riots in 502 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). Then the 3rd church was built by Justinian. After long periods of time, Sultan Mehmed conquered Constantinople and changed it to an islamic city, converting the church to a mosque (Krystek, Lee). In 1934, President Ataturk changed the mosque to a museum for the people and tourists, instead of a sacred place of worship (Krystek, Lee).
...ral (138 ½ feet), Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s (137 ½) and Wren’s St. Paul’s (109 feet). Until steel and concrete technology advanced in the 19th century, no single spaces were larger than these. Bibliography Dirimtekin, Feridun. [1964]. Saint Sophia Museum. Istanbul: Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey. Fossati, Gaspare. 1852. Aya Sofia, Constantinople : as recently restored by order of H. M. the sultan Abdul-Medjid. London: R. & C. Colnagni & Co. James Stevens Curl. Classical Architecture: an introduction to its vocabulary and essentials, with a select glossary of terms. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992. ISBN 0-442-30896-5. NA260.C87. interior photo of circular space (photo of the prostyle octstyle portico of the Pantheon) William L. MacDonald. The Architecture of the Roman Empire I. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1982. ISBN 0-300-02818-0. LC 81-16513
The first church in the series is the Magna Ecclesia which was first built by Constantius II and later inaugurated into the church by Arian bishop Eudoxius of Antinoch. The Hagia Sophia was next to the Imperial Palace. After the death of the ruler, the Patriarch in Constantinople had an argument with the empress, Aelia Eudoxia, who was exiled because of it. During the riots the first church was burned to the ground. The second church was ordered to be built by Theodosius II. The Hagia Sophia was then accepted by the church in October of 415. The Basilica, which had a wooden roof, was created by the architect Rufinus. Several slabs of marble from the original church have survived to present day. These historic slabs of marble reside in a pit next to the museum’s entrance after being discovered in 1935 beneath the courtyard. Later excavation of the Hagia Sophia was banned for reasons of unstable foundations. This second church burned down during the Niak Revolt in January 532. Just a few weeks after the second church was destroyed Justinian I ordered the construction of the third church that would be larger and covered with art. The architects were Isdore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician. Anthemius died during the first year of construction. Justinian I ordered art from across the empire including such magnificent additions as columns from the temple of Artemis
In the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church the icon of The Nativity of Christ is located in the center of the North wall on the first story of icons.
This was the beginning of Justinian’s famous rule, which lasted from 527 A.D. through 565 A.D. (The Reign of Justinian). The reign of Justinian was significant in many ways. First of all, it marked the final end of the Roman Empire. It was the establishment of the New Byzantine empire. It was also the beginning of Western Europe’s unique position within the civilization of the old world.
The representation of divinity was clearly defined in Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists through its subject matter, technique, and style. Christ acts as the focal point, but the artist also used different subjects from the Old and New Testament to decorate the apse. Unlike the mosaics in the apse of Byzantine churches, the artist employed the technique of classical fresco painting. The artist also applied decoration to the figures with the hierarchy of scale, and through the geometric style in the drapery instead of maintaining a sense of realism.
Karl Marx once said “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce” (8). His words ring true with regards to the two periods of Iconoclasm that happened during the Byzantine era. The exact target of all of these destructive acts may be different (icons, Buddhas, and a Christian Monastery), however, what these events do have in common is one similar outcome: the loss of beautiful historical religious artistry that can never really be replaced.
Not only is the Pantheon one of the most amazing architectural structures of the Roman Empire, but it is also one of the most intriguing. It was built during the early second century under the rule of Emperor Hadrian to replace a temple built in 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa which had burned down in 80 A.D. Like the temple it replaced, the Pantheon was a dedication to the Roman gods. An intriguing fact about the Pantheon is that it was one of the first buildings where the focus is on the interior rather than the exterior. On the outside, the cella appears in the shape of a ...
Both Byzantine and Roman mosaics developed at a similar time which led to the influenced upon one another. They possessed distinct techniques, materials, styles and subject matter. Byzantine structures emphasized on decorative touches while Roman mosaics were greatly functional. Both styles were enhanced in order to honour religious figures and domestic life (Ovadiah, 1987).
When walking around a city, you may notice that the architecture and art look similar to other works. Many of these designs have changed along the course of history and time whilst others have not. The designs that many people still see in society and day to day living is from two of the many cultures of the old civilizations, Roman and Islamic. The art and architecture forms from the Islamic and Roman cultures have many comparisons and contrasts between them. They, the Islamic and Roman nations, have both adopted from other cultures and have made their own discoveries in the art and architecture worlds. The Roman and Islamic architecture and art vary drastically from each other and yet have varying comparisons between the two.
The Basilica Nova, also known as the New Basilica or the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine is an ancient Roman structure located in the Forum Romanum, or the Roman Forum, in Rome, Italy. At the time of its construction, the Basilica Nova was considered the largest building sitting within the Roman Forum, and the largest structure to be built overall. The construction of the Basilica Nova took place in the Late Imperial Period (3rd-4th centuries CE) and was started in 306 CE under the rule of Constantine’s rival, Emperor Maxentius. However, the structure was not completed until after Maxentius’ defeat by Constantine in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE. Constantine took over and changed the plan of the unfinished basilica and made
Byzantine art had many basic characteristics. The first was expressionistic using color and emotion. Many of the are lacked depth in a two dimensional fashion. The art was symbolic in nature, decorative, detailed. The figures are stiff and ...
During the Early Byzantine Empire, the mosaics themes revolved around Christianity, however, mosaics formed a new aesthetic, which is weightless, frontal figures (Kleiner 239). For example, the Justinian (Fig. 6) (547) mosaic on the north wall of the apse, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. Justinian is placed in front of the figures that seem to be floating/weightless. Furthermore, the artworks rejected classical illusionism. In the Middle Byzantine Empire, Basil I created a mosaic about the Mother of God in Hagia Sophia (Fig. 7), Turkey in 867 (Kleiner 247). This mosaic showed the domination of iconophiles. Furthermore, the mosaic involves rich colors such as golden