¿The emperor Heraclius as a new David? The iconography of the byzantine plates of Cyprus against the written sources

Authors

  • Joaquín Serrano del Pozo Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

Abstract

The “Cyprus Plates” or “David Plates” have been the focus of significant researches and academic quarrels. The main issue is whether these plates, made at the time of Heraclius (610-641), can be linked in some way to this emperor. The analysis of the iconography of the plates in contrast to several written sources sheds some light on this question, suggesting that the story of David represented in them may had been perceived at the time as a reference to the figure of Heraclius.

Keywords:

Byzantium, Seven century, Heraclius, Iconography, Cyprus Plates, David Plates