The Significance of Unction in Byzantine Iconography
Christopher Walter
How agreeable it would be if the art historian could, with aid of iconographical documents, resolve problems which baffle those who depend primarily upon literary sources for their studies. Unfortunately, such a triumph is rarely afforded to historian. Byzantine artists in particular have not left us detailed record contemporary events; productions tell more about ideas current lifetime than what actually happened. This certainly case rite unction. We no pictures emperor being anointed and evidence that ever existed. Consequently cannot directly help towards firm answer question raised by Donald Nicol his article: after date should references chronicle consecrated unction interpreted literal rather figurative or metaphorical sense?
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies