Byzantine Medallion with Pagan Imagery

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
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published on 25 September 2016
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Byzantine Medallion with Pagan Imagery Download Full Size Image

While Christianity was the state religion of the Byzantine Empire, pagan imagery remained popular. Knowledge of classical literature, which often portrayed the lives of pagan gods and heroes, was considered a sign of culture and good education. This embossed gold medallion shows the Greek hero Hercules, which advertised its owner's education. The other face of this medallion shows the pagan goddess Artemis with a bow and arrow. Byzantine, 5th century CE. (The British Museum, London).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

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APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2016, September 25). Byzantine Medallion with Pagan Imagery. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5728/byzantine-medallion-with-pagan-imagery/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Byzantine Medallion with Pagan Imagery." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified September 25, 2016. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5728/byzantine-medallion-with-pagan-imagery/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Byzantine Medallion with Pagan Imagery." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 25 Sep 2016. Web. 16 Apr 2025.

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