In order to fully understand iconoclasm, we must first understand the role of icons within the Byzantine church, as well as attitudes toward religious imagery elsewhere in the world. While both the Eastern and Western churches made use of images for didactic, decorative and devotional purposes, only the Eastern church made use of icons.
Icons were (and for that matter, still are) typically wood panels, painted in egg tempera and heavily gilded. Icons were occasionally religous scenes, such as the Last Supper, but are most commonly images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or various saints.
Byzantine icons served as objects of veneration, acting to intercede between Christ and the worshipper, or the saint and the worshipper. A number of icons were credited with various miracles, including healing and surviving fire undamaged. Icons served both as a focus for prayer and as a representative of Christ, the Virgin, or the saints. Surviving icons often show wear around the eyes and mouth from the devotions of the faithful.
While Byzantine culture prior to the eighth century accepted and even embraced icons, during the early part of the eighth century that attitude toward changed. Several influences likely played a part in this first wave of iconoclasm.
Within the Byzantine empire, there had always been those who objected to icons. This group believed that Christianity was a purely spiritual faith and found the use of images demeaning to the faith. Outside the Byzantine empire, the influence of Jewish and Muslim culture was growing. Both groups had strenuous objections to religious imagery, but even more objection to religious images used as objects of devotion as icons were.
Iconoclasm began in the Byzantine empire under the rule of Leo III, and this first wave of iconoclasm will be the subject of the next article in this series.
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