Eternal Struggles: The Byzantine Empire’s Political and Cultural Challenges in the Shadow of Rising Powers”

Question: One could argue that they greatest challenge that the Byzantine Empire faced both politically or militarily and culturally was the rise of new powers, both from the Christian west, and especially from the east following upon the emergence and development of Islam. How was this a longer, recurring pattern over time? When did these challenges first arrive and why did they succeed repeatedly in making such decisive inroads against the Byzantines or East Romans? How did these challenges make an impact on both the ability of the Byzantine elite to patronize art and architecture as well as the nature of that art? What do you think was the relationship between the increasingly challenged circumstances of the Byzantine regime and its increasing tendency to cling to or repeat past artistic and architectural tradition in terms of style, object types or media, and iconographic formulae or typology? And finally, how may we explain or at least understand the paradox of the increasing impact of Byzantine art and culture on its Christian neighbors and competitors during the very same period that Byzantium, whose later phase has been described as ‘a failed society,’ was ever less able to sustain itself against all the competition that it faced? Be sure to build your essay around a limited but representative selection of specific artworks and/or monuments to demonstrate and substantiate your arguments. ONLY refer to any of the readings (pictures below of titles) in making your case. The essay should be at least 6 pages long, double-spaced.