When christianity first arose it was without images it had only words only script images were first introduced into the Christians Assembly rooms where they were concentrated at the far end of the simple whole cold the clays yes but once the walls were adorned with images they told a story. How did these images arise how did these stories come about and what role did angels play in the stories of conflict between power and order heaven and. Angels on the messengers of the one god of who no image exists and upon who knows human will have a set of eyes people worship gods words words that were brought by angels who were closest to him. They are spiritual beings just like him beams of light. The angels proclaim up god wishes to tell people. That is their calling. They were imagined to be all new present always talking guiding advising and judging people and so they became a central theme of the pictorial history that week old west and. Christianity became the state religion of the roman empire at a time when it was already beginning to collapse the city of rome the capital was a civilized metropolis of millions whose standards of living and represented the pinnacle of human history. The Roman Emperor has placed themselves on the same level as the gods even today we talk of their buildings and legacies as monumental which also means overwhelming. Different baptist because two of christianity whether it likes it or not is also an add to the roman empire they were temporally contingents the roman empire had a claim to universality in christianity also claims universality and translated it into the commandment to go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation because that in the end. The first images the first pictorial symbols arose alongside the script when the christian or a trees in rome was still Hidden Underground in the catholic or. These pictures were different from those of prechristian antiquity im portrayed angels wearing halos instead of winged messengers with laurel reeds but in the beginning there were very few specifically christian images. Didnt take a whole measure of your hats can adopt much of the antique roman religion didnt develop any dogma and for that reason provided no order from our order first becomes apparent in christianity for instance in the hierarchy of the angels who we can see as the successor to the mynah functional gods of the romans one of the best but continuity and transformation volatile. But what were the models for the superhuman images in christendom were they the heroes of antiquity early christian imagery has its roots in the assyrian babylonian period with its anthropomorphic creatures for example the firy and winged cherub. But this isnt because if lets take a. The concept of demons which in the greek hero were neither good nor bad the morning demons were only intermediaries between the dead is and humanity in christianity they are rico defined as unclean spirits the new testament teaches us that they are the repudiated and resentful gods of the greeks for rick give us an end. To creation. Instead of adopting the pictorial world of antiquity christianity chose to take a detour through demonic beings which took on an idealized human form copied from the n. T. Gods angels are based on models taken from antiquity and the babylonian demons even their name reflects these roots anger loss is greek for messenger and the chair of bears a resemblance to the early demons. Certain uses is the pseudo dionysius is the ideal author because he imagines the angels heaven as a world organized according to three sets of three its made up of spheres nested in each other until they reach the highest mystery of whose god times theyve got. In front is a person to hand from his highest mystery received only as a sea of light divine glory is radiated to the world beloved son of god it consists not just of visible life but also of the knowledge of who god actually is this is based on the first level of angels the seris from them to the cherubs who pass it on via an almost visible Spiritual Connection to the throne the political masters and southside of items. And thus the portrayal of angels in the late middle ages is above all an indication of the primary thing communicated by christian images order. Doesnt thankfully throw one of these a reflections on quo. Asked jensen how can i portray god how can i portray what is holy and purely spiritual without it becoming sensible and being dragged down to the level of antiquity which the christians termed paganism. Ruston because now. The picture of a hierarchical order in heaven is the keen to christian imagery order is the prerequisite for perfection. The First Step Towards a selfcontained christian iconography of angels didnt take place in rome in the fourth century a. D. The roman empire collapsed into two hobs rome and the western part of the empire was overrun by the goths then reconquered by eastern roman by xantia in the mid sixties century rome became a provincial city of the buys and time empire with rivera as its capital. This is where the first systematic pictorial history of the still young christendom as a synthesis of greek philosophy and the Christian Doctrine of salvation was developed. To drive that love as it is of us ice ice disemployed look at this chart of your number three is normally reserved as a symbol of the day it is this but in the Old Testament we also have angel often it is silent and the prophet huizi kilo isiah allow to look up to heaven they see being surrounding got it all to fear they are either ordered in groups of four or have four facets for example illegal like lion like all human like beings and all of a gets. A few it is something that was imported from the babylonian iconography and integrated into christendom god is surrounded by groups of four figures when seated on. Throne and thats why alongside the number three which symbolizes gaunt there is a number for an extension symbolizing his rule in all for worldly speeches and eras i figure since thats also why the derivatives of three and four twelve and twenty four were also in doubt with a holy systematic significance hides systematically toy to. The oldest mosaics of christian iconography out to be found in the sacred buildings of ravenna opposite a series of martyrs theres a series of holy virgins that individual expressions are not important but the series and the number. Sixteen profit stand above them which signifies twelve plus four and the fact that they are placed above the virgins in the martyrs expresses their place in the hierarchy and theyre all foraging within christendom. Even higher up scenes portraying christs passion even this position denotes hierarchy order here in revenge of the hierarchy is formulated and translated into a system of images. The beginning and then to of this mural are reserved for the key figures of holy scripture mary and christ they are positioned formally alongside each of them are two angels that look out directly on the view of. The angels are the courtiers whole body guards of mary and jesus christ. Her. This simple pictorial system became a canon upon which Everything Else was based from then on the church is became larger and the at says and jones expressed the unity and perfection of the Christian Cross mass. In the way it. Ranged its images the christian pictorial system took over and transcended the buys and time court order and its portrayal of power and representation. Even when you read the thirty eight jubilee unity on constantine the great we can discern a formula for order in the wild one god one empire one Emperor Constantine was an advocate of an eagle a tarion god in a clear hierarchy order this system of subservience this reflected socio political relationships business. And. Our are preventing now is where the synthesis between the systematic thinking of the greeks and the Christian Doctrine of salvation became translated into imagery. Amidst the ruins of rome new churches were built and the ancient roman buildings repurposed by christians the pictorial canon over a banner made itself felt in some time area in trust there where the larger the church was the more imagery could be depicted. Here for the first time mary was depicted directly alongside jesus christ as his companion the mosaic still expresses representation directly but the angels are missing. Thus the picture clearly indicates that the central figure of the new testament jesus christ the redeemer is superior to the angels in the hierarchy even though he was a human being. The upper basilica of son plenty in room was built at the beginning of the twelfth century in it the buys and time courtly order is abandoned the Christian Cross dominates the ordering of the spheres still expresses number and order but more important is the concentration on the christian visual symbols they signify the opposite of power christ as the holy land in the center of his flock. Love this is god as the angel of peace among us a full god its a different pictorial message from those of antiquity all the buys and time empire. All. Around the turn of the millennium the church order as expressed in images went through a profound crisis of increasing worldliness and corruption the authority of the pope and with it the message of salvation through the one church was substantially shaken. The radical return of the liturgy to the original message of salvation took place not initially but in france i am in a small chapel now only all the founding motifs of that message of salvation are represented on its by sand timers satyrs. Above two small six winged chariots two other angels dominate the dont. They represent the old and the new testament which in the language of the mosaic were delivered by angels to humankind. The suggestion of a hand tells us that they have delivered the scripture upon gods command and that the path to salvation can only lie in following gods will. This new system of christian liturgy and message of salvation comes from cluny abbey founded in nine hundred ten by the juki back retain as a benedictine Abbey Clooney was not only the center of the christian cosmos during the middle ages of the largest and most powerful church of the christian world it was only supposed later by st peters basilica during the french revolution almost nine hundred years later clooney was destroyed as being a symbol of an absolute monarchy that claimed divine legitimation. But today even amid the ruins the pattern significance of this order with its many of the churches and monasteries throughout burgundy is still palpable its no accident the burgundy was home to the most significant monastic orders and of the biggest cathedrals of the eleventh and twelfth centuries the most important pilgrims way to Santiago De Compostela took them through here. Turn cathedral houses the most significant pictorial example of the transformation of christian iconography joining that period. It was carved in stone by give back to a spittoon eleven twenty and eleven thirty five. Forty. The main portal through which millions of pilgrims enter the church no longer depicted the power of god but the last judgment christ and the elders the angels that gods throne sits and judge over human souls which in line with the general understanding of this period threatened by evil more than ever in order to uphold order and the perfection of salvation christ and the angels have to demonstrate that they can differentiate between good and evil from this point on the rank of the angels changes dramatically in the imagery from now on they become the most important representatives of the ruler of old things a god that rewards good behavior. As christ companions the angels are lot at the role of completing salvation the angels are once again the mediate has between god and humanity they fight for god had full humanity against evil. The pilgrims moved within the great knaves as though they were in a parade and looked up into the capitals with their vivid illustrations of the evil in old its incarnations. The second temptation of christ taken from the gospel of luke makes it clear whats happening here christ determination to resist heresy and damage. The suicide of judas shows what happens when someone turns away from god the monumentally impressive knave signified to the believers that only gods word could help against old these temptations and human weaknesses. Amrit although no. Home alone heading southwards with the mansions just visible on the horizon lies one of the most important cities of the middle ages one of these of the modern day said a miracle he was originally a burial place beyond the city wools the whole complex with its cathedral baptistry and compost some toll has begun in thirteen hundred. Homes to have the campo sunchild was the not just cemetery of the christian middle ages and thats a place where death damnation and redemption played a prominent role here we find a monumental representation of the loves judgment. This powerful fresco must have shocked its contemporaries it begins with the last judgment on the ruffle christ reveals his wounds and flings his outrage like lightning in the direction of how. This anger is offset by the gentle virgin mary to his left. Beneath them is an angel with two scroll at high level with the viewer is the warrior Archangel Michael with his sword. Another an angel hurts frightened citizens of peace towards damnation the faces of terrified and pleading but no one can escape divine judgment this is a recurring motif in christendom in the face of the might of the last judgment the wealth and grander of bishops and even the power of mana all to no avail. In the frescoes pictorial arrangement the artist has paid tribute to social status the kings occupy the top ten even one of the angels reveals its fear in the face of the past and unavoidable ity of the last judgment announced by trumpets on the left we can see the saved these two are portraits of real life citizens of pisa their facial expressions a calm and they all look up to the merciful figure of the virgin mary into seso before the judge their body language is relaxed the face is a clear although their expressions reveal intense concentration. Pieces pious citizens are expressing their heartfelt gratitude for the victory of good over evil. The struggle does trying. These angels receive the souls who have already been saved. Its as if in addition to the widely understood concepts of the apocalypse in the last judgment a new orientation is taking place towards the end of the Twentieth Century not far from the russian pass on the edge of the Southern Alps the monastery of muddy and back was established to this day the benedictine monks there assemble in a narrow vaults that are a tree a. One off. The. Marion barry monastery is famous for its roman frescoes in a symbolic series of images they reinterpret human beings path to salvation they are brought closer to the angels by pursuing their battle against evil. The more. Humans can rise in the heavenly hierarchy by successfully overcoming evil that is the message of these frescoes. We see the end jet experiments and cherubs recognizable by their six wings that. Alongside them is the Apostle Peter who holds the key to heaven in paradise and on his right is a protective angel. This constellation indicates a new link between apostle and heavenly beings man and angel again come closer to one another despite the evil in the world. Or the. Who. Is the most Important Message those communicated in the arrangement of angels above the almighty in the mandorla in jesus christ appears to be standing on his head. The real focus is this small angel smaller than all the other have new figures dressed presents the new human who are to fighting a lifelong battle against evil is seen by christ to be deserving of redemption and thus as a small angel is taken into the communion of the big angels human beings can rise into the sphere of the heavenly beings and can be redeemed heaven awaits them thats what this fresco expresses the small angel is both messenger and message a new era in the relationship between humanity and the heavenly smear has begun. Hall further southwards we reach a place of great importance in christian iconography assisi. In burgundy joining the twelve century monasteries had adopted a strict the only nice liturgy and had almost completely rejected imagery. In the thirteenth century new waters arose in central italy this one in assisi was to be a purely mendicant told a completely dedicated to charity and neighborly love as the most direct path to redemption. The building of the lower church began in the early thirteenth century together with Thomas Aquinas francis of assisi was considered the main renewal of the Christian Doctrine of salvation no building from the late middle ages baz great a testament to this spirit of renewal as that of the hyatt church of assisi. Its name is dominated by jaw toes world famous francescos but the real secret is to be found in the older decorated transepts of the name of what is here translated pictorially is the virgin marys bodily ascension to heaven and her final exaltation of the angels. In one of the man dollars held up by for an angels jesus and mary are in friend in loving devotion one of the angels is said to have called out who is she she who is raised up from the desert nestling on her lover. Angels prophets and the saints assemble around the heavenly throne on which the virgin mary sits alongside her son. As an intercessor on behalf of humanity. What is important here all the protagonists hands sent francis whose face can no longer be recognized pleads for redemption on behalf of his brothers as he is conveyed by mary to her son who listens and gives his blessing to the franciscans. The virgin marys role in the heavenly hierarchy is in this Franciscan Church newly defined. She is jesus companion and on with the angels at the same time she remains a human being that signifies that she is the first human being to be redeemed and raised to heaven. The rose window in the outer world is like a final symbol of this new order. The shape of the sun can be construed as referring to jesus the rose to the virgin mary both forms are united as part of a circle that has only one center god. Have the close of the middle ages towards the end of the fourteenth century tuscany became a european stronghold of progress the dominican monk from and jellicoe came from the area around florence and achieved world renown with his p