CHRISTIAN SUBJECT-MATTER
The adoption of Christian subject matter, together with the elimination
of pagan subjects, most clearly established the independence of Byzantine
coins from the coins of ancient Rome. This fundamental change did not, however,
occur immediately after Constantine's conversion to Christianity. Although
representations of pagan gods ceased to occur on coins during the reign
of Constantine, there were some revivals under his immediate successors,
especially under Constantius II. Even after the establishment of Christianity
as the state religion in A.D. 391 by Theodosius (A.D. 379-395), elements
of pagan subject matter frequently continued to appear on solidi.
The most popular was the winged Victory which appeared regularly on solidi
until the reign of Justin I (A.D. 518-27). As late as the reign of Justin
II (A.D. 565-578), the figure of Constantinopolis, a female personification
of the imperial capital, was still being used occasionally. Christian imagery
was adopted very slowly and it was not until the first reign of Justinian
II (A.D. 685-695) that a portrait of Christ appeared, and it was even later
that images of the Virgin or saints were included.
The Christogram was the earliest form of Christian subject matter to be
included on Byzantine solidi. The Christogram consists of a monogram formed
out of the Greek initials of Christ's name (I X P) and can appear in several
different arrangements. The reverse of a solidus issued by Anastasius
I shows a figure of Victory holding a staff in the shape of the Christogram
(no. 130). The figure of Victory is
itself a pagan type and thus the coin shows the continued use of pagan subjects
in combination with Christian symbols. Under Justin I, Anastasius' successor,
the female figure of Victory was transformed into a male angel through an
alteration in the style of dress of the figure (no. 131).
The angel consequently became the primary reverse type of solidi
during the sixth century.
During the reign of Tiberius II (A.D. 578-582), the cross was adopted as
a reverse type on the solidus. By the early seventh century it had
completely supplanted the angel as the dominant reverse type. The most popular
form of cross in the seventh century was a cross potent (a cross with a
short bar at the end of each arm) set on a series of steps. It first appears
on coins issued under Tiberius II and was intended to reflect the appearance
of an actual cross erected at Calvary in 420 by Theodosius II (A.D. 408-450).
Another type of cross, the patriarchal cross, became popular during the
ninth century. Consisting of a cross with two separate horizontal arms placed
one above the other, the patriarchal cross was commonly shown either held
by individual emperors or jointly held by a pair of emperors (nos. 143-147).
(Continues...)
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