Marić, Ivan

University of Edinburgh

Research Topic: Imperial Ideology after Iconoclasm: Negotiating the Limits of Imperial Power in Byzantium, 843-913

Mr. Maric is a PhD candidate in the Classics Department at the University of Edinburgh. In his doctoral thesis “Imperial Ideology after Iconoclasm: Negotiating the Limits of Imperial Power in Byzantium, 843–913” he is focusing on the negotiations of a new balance of power between church and state and the lasting effects of the iconoclast controversy within this process. Since the ideological struggle manifested in various contexts, and was transmitted via diverse media, the thesis draws on an extensive body of both written and visual material and the discourse analysis is employed as the overarching methodology which enables a holistic approach. The characteristics of iconography are highly significant for constructing the image of power and dialogue between the emperor and his subjects, both his associates and political foes, in order to define ideology; Maric’s project at ANAMED pertains to this aspect of the thesis; namely, he will be exploring how the emerging post-iconoclast image program relates to the political discourse concerning the limits of the two powers. Given the paramount presence of the Hagia Sophia in the life of the Byzantine capital – dominating the visual and ideological landscape of the city and its inhabitants – and its position as a venue for the emperor-patriarch interplay, study of the image-program executed within the Great church in the outlined period is at the heart of his project.