A cross of light bearing the inscription “in hoc signo vinces” (in this sign you will conquer)
miraculously appeared to Roman Emperor Constantine before the battle of Milvian Bridge. His victory
over his brother-in-law and co-emperor Maxentius and subsequent conversion to Christianity had a
profound impact on the course of Western civilization.
Byzantine is the term commonly used since the 19th century to refer to the Greek-speaking Roman
Empire of the Middle Ages centered in the capital city of Constantinople. During much of its history,
it was known to many of its Western contemporaries as the Empire of the Greeks, due to the
dominance of the Greek language and culture. However, it is important to remember that the
Byzantines referred to themselves as simply as the Roman Empire. As the Byzantine era is a period
largely fabricated by historians, there is no clear consensus on exactly when the Byzantine age
begins; although many consider the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, who moved the
imperial capital to the glorious city of Byzantium, renamed Constantinople and nicknamed the “New
Rome,” to be the beginning. Others consider the reign of Theodosius I (379-395), when Christianity
officially supplanted the pagan beliefs, to be the true beginning. And yet other scholars date the
start of the Byzantine age to the era when division between the east and western halves of the
empire became permanent.
While Christianity replaced the gods of antiquity, traditional Classical culture continued to flourish.
Greek and Latin were the languages of the learned classes. Before Persian and Arab invasions
devastated much of their eastern holdings, Byzantine territory extended as far as south as Egypt.
After a period of iconoclastic uprising came to resolution in the 9th Century, a second flowering of
Byzantine culture arose and lasted until Constantinople was temporarily seized by Crusaders from
the west in the 13th Century. Christianity spread throughout the Slavic lands to the north. In 1453,
Constantinople finally fell to the Ottoman Turks effectively ending the Byzantine Empire after more
than 1,100 years. Regardless of when it began, the Byzantine Empire continued to carry the mantle
of Greek and Roman Classical cultures throughout the Medieval era and into the early Renaissance,
creating a golden age of Christian culture that today continues to endure in the rights and rituals of
the Eastern Orthodox Church. Byzantine art and culture was the epitome of luxury, incorporating
the finest elements from the artistic traditions of both the East and the West.
This bronze oil lamp dates to the Byzantine era. The ring handle is surmounted by a Christian cross.
The filling hole is covered with a hinged lid. The spout terminates in a circular opening for the
wick.The majority of lamps in the ancient world were fashioned from clay. The use of bronze was a
costly and luxurious alternative.
