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Palaiologan dynasty: The dynasty founded by
Michael VIII Palaiologos with the recapture of Constantinople
from the Crusader in 1261, it lasted until the fall of the city
to the Ottoman Turks, on May 29, 1453.
palladium, palladia (from Lat., adj. Of Pallas Athene): image
or relic closely associated with the safety and prosperity of
the place in which it is housed, from the Latin, "Pallas,"
after the statue of Athena stolen from Troy by Odysseus and
said to have been brought to Rome. The icon of the Virgin Hodegetria
was one of the most important palladia of Constantinople (see cat 4, 126, 151. 152).
pallium (Lat., "outer garment"),
see himation.
Panagia (Gr., "All Holy"): Epithet
of the Virgin Mary, also a rite in which a piece of pyramidally-shaped
bread is offered to the Virgin at the end of a meal.
panagiarion, panagiaria: (from the Gr., "panagia"):
small liturgical pattern bearing an image of the Virgin, frequently
depicted in an orant pose. These objects were intended to enclose
a special particle of bread, that was offered to the Virgin
by monks during a meal or during particular services. After
the fifteenth century, an honorific type of encolpion worn by
prelates (see cat 66, 145).
panegyris (Gr., "fair"): a festival,
fair and trade market usually linked to the celebration of a
Saint’s Feast Day, one of the most celebrated was Thessalonike’s
panegyris of Saint Demetrios, which brought visitors and merchants
from around the Mediterranean.
Pantokrator (Gr., "All-Sovereign,"
or "All-Holder"): manner of depicting Christ, either
full-length or more typically half-length, raising his right
hand in blessing and holding an open or closed codex in his
left hand. This image is typically found within the central
dome of Orthodox churches (see cat, 154, 217, 305). Also, the
name of a celebrated monastery found by John II Komeneos on
the fourth hill of Constantinople, the Typikon of which was
written in 1136. Another monastery bearing this name is found
on Mount Athos; it probably was founded during the Late Byzantine
period in 1357.
parekklesion, parekklesia (Gr. "beside
the Church"): chapel, usually built alongside a pre-existing
church and often fulfilling a funerary function. The two most
important surviving parekklesia dating from the Late Byzantine
Period are found at the former Pammakaristos Church (Fethiye
Camii) and at the Monastery of the Chora (Kariye Camii). The
introduction of parekklesia is emblematic of the focus on funerary
ritual and dynastic commemoration of the dead during the Late
Byzantine Period.
Passion: events of Christ’s life after
the Last supper.
pastiglia: raised gilded gesso patterns sometimes
found decorating the frames and backgrounds of icons created
within the crusader orbit (see cat 216).
pastophoria: auxiliary chambers at the eastern
end of the church, flanking the central altar area, called the
prothesis chamber and the diakonikon.
Paterik, Pareiki, Paterikon (from Gr. paterika,
"books about the fathers"): books containing tales
and sayings of the early church fathers.
patriarch: head bishop of certain autocephalous
orthodox churches. The first five Patriarchates, or pentarchy
were Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem.
patrikios, patrikoi (Gr., from Latin patricius,
"of patrician rank"): an honorific title introduced
by Constantine I. The title was not connected with any specific
duties and disappeared after the start of the twelfth century.
pendoulia, prependoulia; hanging jeweled ornaments
attached to a crown (see cat 1, 27).
phelonion (Gr., probably from the Lat. "paenula,"
"mantle"): the voluminous bell-shaped outer garment
worn by priests and by bishops over their sticharia and epitrachelia.
The phelonia of priests remain plain and those of bishops became
increasingly decorated, see polystaurion.
Philoxenia (Gr., "hospitality"):
representation based on (Genesis, 18: 1-5) of Abraham ministering
to Three Angels. This is seen as a representation of the Holy
Trinity, the earliest example known is found at the mid fourth-century
Via Latina Catacomb in Rome, the most famous example being the
example painted by Andrei Rublyev (see cat 107, 108).
podea, podeai: the decoration of icons took
two forms: one consisted of a fabric called podea, which was
suspended underneath an icon and occasionally decorated with
figural scenes reflecting the compositional focus of the icon
above it. Textual evidence for the custom of embellishing icons
with rich textiles appears in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
See also katapesmata.
polykandelion, polykandelia (Gr., "many
lamps"): silver or bronze stand for a group of smaller
lamps.
polystaurion (Gr., "many crosses"?):
a phelonion bearing a pattern of crosses upon it and worn with
the omophorion above it. Visual evidence of the polystaurion
first appears in the eleventh century homilies of James Kokinobaphos
(Vat. Gr. Cod. 1162), in which Saints Gregory, Basil and John
Chrysostom wear it. Initially worn only by Patriarchs, the polystaurion
begins to be worn by increasing numbers of the episcopate. Nevertheless,
bishops who wore the garment without official permission of
the patriarch were censured, as was the case of Archbishop Aleksei
of Novgorod, who was rebuked for wearing one without permission
in 1370 (see cat, 25, 135).
poterokalymna: veil placed over the chalice,
see diskokalymma.
Prodromos (Gr., "precursor"): Epithet
for John the Baptist.
proedros, proedroi (Gr., "leading person,"
"chief"): High ranking civil or ecclesiastical figure.
proskynesis (Gr., "prostration"):
gesture of supplication or reverence.
proskynetarion, proskynetaria (Gr., "oratory,"
"place of worship"): stand holding an icon of Christ,
the Virgin or titular saint of a church flanking the sanctuary.
It is believed that proskynetarion developed from the elaborate
framed images on piers adjacent to the templon.
proskynetes, proskynetai (Gr., "one who
venerates") a pilgrim.
Prothesis (Gr., "offering"): separate
rite taking place in the prothesis chamber behind the templon,
in which the officiant prepares the Eucharistic elements for
the liturgy.
protospatharios, protospatharioi (Gr., "first
spatharios"): rank in the imperial hierarchy initially
reserved for a high military commander.
protovestarios, protovestiarioi (Gr., "first
keeper of the wardrobe"): originally a high post for a
eunuch; the title later lost its association with the emperor’s
wardrobe and was conferred on many nobles and high-ranking dignateries.
Psalter: the book of psalms
pseudo-kufic: decoration imitating Islamic
Calligraphy and found in a number of contexts for Byzantine
art, in brickwork, sculpted moldings, cornices, epistyles, screens,
ceramic tiles, etc.
pyle (Gr., "gate"): the curtain found
behind central entrance into the sanctuary; also the illuminated
decoration at the head of chapters in Byzantine illuminated
manuscripts.
pyxis, pyxides (Gr., "box"): box
or container (see cat 5).
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