Early Byzantine Era

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Byzantine Era was typically divided into three distinct periods, the Early, Middle, and Late Byzantine. The early Byzantine period, from 324-720, was an era that started with the founding of Constantinople and ended with iconoclasm, the destruction of images used in worships. During the beginning of the fourth century, Christianity was recognized and made to be the official religion of the Roman Empire. Justinian, the emperor during that reign proposed the monophysite view, in which, he believe Christ had only one nature, divine, rather than a dual nature, divide and human.
Many churches built during the early Byzantine Era consist mosaics on the idea of monotheism. An example of monotheistic are is seen in the church San Vitale. In the interior
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There was an intense opposition against icons around early 8th century which cause many of the icons created in the Early Byzantine era to be destroyed. As a result of iconoclasm, many of the arts of the Early Byzantine era were destroyed. After a new line of emperors, icons became popular again. Religious arts and architectures of Christ, the Virgin, and saints where seen in many Middle Byzantine arts. In 867, the Virgin with Christ as a child enthroned on her lap was reconstructed. It was a mosaic in the apse of the Justinianic church of Hagia Sophia, which was represented the church of Holy Wisdom from the Early Byzantine period. This mosaic was suppose to replace the original that was destroyed by iconoclasts. “Most significant about the images in the Hagia Sophia apse is their very existence, marking the end of iconoclasm in the Byzantine Empire” (Kleiner 271). The monastic Church of Dormition at Daphni is another example of the idea based on monotheism. Inside the church consists a feeling of mysterious out of space, surface, light, and dark. On very high top of the dome is a mosaic of Christ as Pantokrator, the judge of humankind. “The image serves to connect the awestruck worshiper in the church below with Heaven through Christ” (Kleiner 272). There are many churches, for instance, the great basilican church of Monreale, in the Middle Byzantine Era that portrays Christ as a Pantokrator. In this mosaic, the