ICONOCLASTS

(Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.) Literally, bieakers of images; a title applied to two of the Byzantine emperors, Leo the I saurian and his son Const an tine Capronymus, who during their reigns, which extended from 726 to 795, persevered in overthrowing the images in the Christian churches, and in extirpating their worship. The 338 bishops, also, who attended a council at Constantinople in the reign of the latter prince, and declared themselves in favour of his views, were stigmatized by the orthodox party under the same name. In the year 787, however, a general council was a embled at Nicaea by the empre Irene, who inclined towards the old superstition, and the images were on this occasion restored to their former honours. This council, the second of Nice, is the last respecting which the Greek and Latin churches coincide; the practice, however, of the Greek church makes a distinction between the use of pictures, which it allows, and graven images, which it studiously rejects. (Mosheim, Eccl. Hist. vol. i. p. 262., transl.; Schlo er's History qf the Iconoclast Emperors, Frankfort, 1812; Neander, parts 3 and 4.) [s. 596]