Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 978-1-009-10132-5
Built in the 6th century, the Church of St. Polyeuktos was once the largest church in Constantinople. This book tells the story of this building and its rediscovery in the 1960s.
Excerpt:
While the rediscovery and excavation of St. Polyeuktos in Istanbul was without doubt one of the greatest sensations of Byzantine archaeology in the twentieth century, the scholarly expectations for this find were completely exaggerated. Many thought that this building would act as a missing link and would be able to explain the many open questions about the innovations in early-sixth-century Constantinopolitan architecture. However, St. Polyeuktos hardly provided any answers, but raised more questions than it answered.
The building gradually gave rise to a whole series of archaeo-historical narratives that became more and more established over the decades, in which the City’s important Byzantine protagonists and the surviving major monu- ments were woven into a coherent plot. This Element on the archaeology of St. Polyeuktos must necessarily take a closer look at these narratives and subject them to critical examination. In the end, the study of St. Polyeuktos will tell us as much about Byzantine architectural history in the second half of the twentieth century as about early Byzantine architecture itself.
Who is this book for?
Part of the Cambridge Elements series, this is a short (just over 80 pages) and readable book aimed at explaining the importance of this church and what it can tells us about Byzantine architecture. Even those with a more general interest in Byzantium will find this to be an interesting read.
“A strength of The Church of St. Polyeuktos at Constantinople is how the author effectively debunks clichés about the history of Hagios Polyeuktos and Constantinople. He argues convincingly against the church being a political statement from Juliana’s family to Justinian, pointing out that the construction began during Anastasios’ reign, not Justinian’s. Stroth also skillfully dismantles legends about rivalry between Juliana and Justinian or about Justinian as the new Solomon, both common in flawed historical records and modern publications. He also critically argues against the idea that Hagios Polyeuktos was a prototype for Justinian’s domed buildings and rejects theories about its design being based on biblical descriptions of temples.” – review by Georgios Makris in The Byzantine Review
The Church of St. Polyeuktos at Constantinople
By Fabian Stroth
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 978-1-009-10132-5
Built in the 6th century, the Church of St. Polyeuktos was once the largest church in Constantinople. This book tells the story of this building and its rediscovery in the 1960s.
Excerpt:
While the rediscovery and excavation of St. Polyeuktos in Istanbul was without doubt one of the greatest sensations of Byzantine archaeology in the twentieth century, the scholarly expectations for this find were completely exaggerated. Many thought that this building would act as a missing link and would be able to explain the many open questions about the innovations in early-sixth-century Constantinopolitan architecture. However, St. Polyeuktos hardly provided any answers, but raised more questions than it answered.
The building gradually gave rise to a whole series of archaeo-historical narratives that became more and more established over the decades, in which the City’s important Byzantine protagonists and the surviving major monu- ments were woven into a coherent plot. This Element on the archaeology of St. Polyeuktos must necessarily take a closer look at these narratives and subject them to critical examination. In the end, the study of St. Polyeuktos will tell us as much about Byzantine architectural history in the second half of the twentieth century as about early Byzantine architecture itself.
Who is this book for?
Part of the Cambridge Elements series, this is a short (just over 80 pages) and readable book aimed at explaining the importance of this church and what it can tells us about Byzantine architecture. Even those with a more general interest in Byzantium will find this to be an interesting read.
“A strength of The Church of St. Polyeuktos at Constantinople is how the author effectively debunks clichés about the history of Hagios Polyeuktos and Constantinople. He argues convincingly against the church being a political statement from Juliana’s family to Justinian, pointing out that the construction began during Anastasios’ reign, not Justinian’s. Stroth also skillfully dismantles legends about rivalry between Juliana and Justinian or about Justinian as the new Solomon, both common in flawed historical records and modern publications. He also critically argues against the idea that Hagios Polyeuktos was a prototype for Justinian’s domed buildings and rejects theories about its design being based on biblical descriptions of temples.” – review by Georgios Makris in The Byzantine Review
The Author
Fabian Stroth is an Internal Fellow at the University of Freiburg, where he specializes in Byzantine architecture. Click here to see his Academia.edu page.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts