Name of the work of art: Greek fire being used by Byzantine Navy against

navy rebel forces of Thomas the Slav

What media is used to create it: paper, ink.

Artist (If known): John Skylitzes
Where the work was created: Found in his historical work Madrid
Skylitzes

Where it was created: in his historical work Madrid Skylitzes

Where it resides now: Codex Skylitzes Matritensis, Bibliteca
Nacional de Madrid, Vitr. 26-2, Bild-Nr. 77, f 34 v. b.
I found the image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_fire#/media/
File:Greekfire-madridskylitzes1.jpg
Why I chose this image: I find this interesting not only from a military
perspective, but also from a historical perspective. Here we have the first use of
a flame thrower, using a chemical mixture known as Greek fire, the chemical
formula of which has been forgotten (1). Flamethrowers would not be used on a
large scale until WWI. The revolt of Thomas the Slav is equally fascinating. In
summary, he was a Byzantine general who decided to seize power after a palace
coup. He sought backing from the Islamic Abbasid Caliphate (!) and marched
against the coup leaders in Constantinople. The coup leaders were almost driven
out of power, and were only saved when they received help from the Bulgarians.
Despite the fact that this was one of the largest revolts in Byzantine history, no it
is not clear why he instigated it. Part of the reason why is because Thomas the
Slavs detractors used propaganda to obscure the facts after the revolt. Reasons
for the revolt have included the icon controversy, marginalization of ethnic
minorities within Byzantium, or just plain personal ambition. If we look at it form
the context of the icon controversy, we may note that social revolutions over

trivial things have much deeper roots tapping into other sources of social
discontent within the societies that are experiencing these revolts. The icon
controversy may have been a spark for a revolution related to issues that have
been smoldering for a much longer time. For example, marginalization of ethnic
minorities. The Greek fire illustrations shows that in some cases enough fear and
firepower control this discontent, but not for long.

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNP50Cdkqs

Name of the work of art: Virigin Mary with Child

What media is used to create it: ivory

Artist (If known): unknown

Where the work was created: probably Constantinople
Where it was created: in his historical work Madrid Skylitzes
Where it resides now: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Where I found the image: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?
t=523764&page=3
Why I chose this image: For a society that seemed to place so much
sensitivity toward iconography, it is odd that this is the only surviving statuette of
the Virgin Mary from Byzantium. In the Catholic faith, Virgin Mary statues are
very common. As Constantinople was occupied for six centuries by an Islamic

state, the Ottoman Empire, we can find one possible explanation for the lack of
Byzantine Virgin Statues. The Muslims do not believe that God exists in three
components, which the Christians call the holy Trinity. When the Christians say
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, they are saying God manifests as
himself, in his son Jesus, and the Holy Ghost, or the spirit of whom he created
and believes in God. A critical link between man and God was Jesus, which could
not have happened without his mother giving birth to him. To the Muslims, getting
rid of venerating the Virgin Mary would erase the ideological concept of the
Trinity at its source.

Name of the work of art: glass vial with religious themes

What media is used to create it: glass

Artist (If known): unknown

Where the work was created: unknown

When it was created:6th-7th Century AD

Where it resides now: Ex Christies, London, 8 April 1998; J.M.,E. collection,
New York

Where I found the image: http://www.royalathena.com/PAGES/

GlassCatalog/Roman/CLF17JE.html
Why I chose this image: This is an example of early glass work. In the
middle ages we begin to see glass used more frequently in everyday usage
objects such as cups, bottles, etc. In prior times glass was used mostly for
mosaic art. It would later evolve into medieval church stained windows, which
were very popular in Western Europe.