Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

Title: Emperor Justinian and Retinue
Creator:
Description: Justinian is haloed to signify his divine qualities as ruler and he holds a eucharistic paten to signify his piety. Church officials stand to his left among which is the Bishop Maximianus, who holds an altar cross. Two tonsured priests to Maximianus' left hold a jeweled Gospel book and a censer. To Justinian's left are pretorian guards. One holds a shield bearing the Chi-Rho, a symbol that developed under Emperor Constantine I. Justinian is thus presented as the hinge between church and secular powers, and a divine ruler who follows in the steps of Constantine.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rights: Public Domain
Subject (See Also): Emperors Justinian I, Byzantine Emperor Processions
Geographic Area: Italy
Century: 6
Date:
Related Work: Virtual visit to San Vitale: http://www.turismo.ravenna.it/eng/Links/Virtual-tour/Panorama/Basilica-of-San-Vitale
Current Location: Ravenna, San Vitale, left apse side wall
Original Location:
Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Mosaics
Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Colored stones; Glass; Gold
Donor:
Height/Width/Length(cm): //
Inscription:
Related Resources: