The Cross in Byzantium
As the omnipresent sign of the Christian faith,the symbol of Christ Passion and his victory over death,the cross was ubiquitous in the Byzantine world.Beginning with Constantine's 1's vision of the cross on the eve of battle with his rival Maxentios in 312 AD,the cross was associated with the emperor;it became an imperial insignia on the battlefield and a fixture in court ceremonies.The cross played an important role in religious and civic life.Deacons carried the cross into the church as part of the liturgy,and it was celebrated with three feast days.Crosses were processed through city streets during times of natural disaster and enemy attack and in commemoration of these events.They decorated churches, office buildings,municipal structures, homes,and all manner of domestic and personal goods.
The Cross in Byzantium
As the omnipresent sign of the Christian faith,the symbol of Christ Passion and his victory over death,the cross was ubiquitous in the Byzantine world.Beginning with Constantine's 1's vision of the cross on the eve of battle with his rival Maxentios in 312 AD,the cross was associated with the emperor;it became an imperial insignia on the battlefield and a fixture in court ceremonies.The cross played an important role in religious and civic life.Deacons carried the cross into the church as part of the liturgy,and it was celebrated with three feast days.Crosses were processed through city streets during times of natural disaster and enemy attack and in commemoration of these events.They decorated churches, office buildings,municipal structures, homes,and all manner of domestic and personal goods.