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tablion: piece of square fabric sewn on the
chlamys of dignitaries.
taxis (Gr., "order"): the organization
of the State and Church along similar hierarchical lines, and
the fundamental order which permeated Byzantine society. The
regulation of human society was said to be an image of the celestial
realm, which also was organized along hierarchical lines.
tempera: painting technique utilizing egg yolk
or egg white mixed with mineral pigments.
templon: wooden or masonry screen separating
the sanctuary from the nave of an Orthodox Church. It consists
of a socle, upon which are set pillars, linked by an entablature.
The interstices came to be filled with icons, see iconostasis.
tertiary (Lat., from tertiarius, relative adjective
of tertius, "third"): male or female lay-members of
religious orders, who live according to The Third Rule, either
within a monastery as ‘regulars,’ or in the world
as ‘seculars.’ Tertiaries are persons who for certain
circumstances or obligations are unable to make a complete commitment
to the religious vocation. Nevertheless, as tertiaries they
can wear a habit and enjoy the advantages and privileges of
their fully professed brethren. Tertiaries figured prominently
in the Mendicant Franciscan, Dominican and Carmelite Orders.
tessera (tesserae): Small cubes of stone or
glass used to create mosaics; gold and silver tessarae utilize
a layer of foil behind clear glass.
Tetramorph: the four symbols of the Evangelists
assembled into a single four-part winged form.
theosis (Gr., "deification"): pseudo-Dionysios
the Aereopagite defines theosis as "[consisting] of being
as much as possible like and in union with God;" a state
off being only possible through the agency of the grace of God.
Hesychast thinkers saw the divine light that shone at the Transfiguration
as the revelation of theosis.
Theotokos (Gr., "God-bearing"): epithet
bestowed upon the Virgin Mary at the Council of Ephesus in 431,
emphasizing that Mary gave birth to God, not to a man who became
god.
Threnos, threnoi: (Gr., "lamentation"):
The Virgin’s lamentation over the dead body of Christ,
many of the details found in depictions of this scene can be
found in a homily by George of Nicomedia. This homily was read
on Good Friday in monasteries, from the eleventh century onwards,
and the image may have been initially conceived and commissioned
within a monastic context.
thringion, thringia (Gr., "cornice"):
A frame or revetment, usually of silver gilt donated to an icon
as a privileged symbol of piety or thanksgiving. Extant examples
date from the Middle Byzantine Period and the genre experienced
a great revival under the reign of the Palaiologan Emperors
and during the Post-Byzantine Period. These frames were described
in the poems of the court Poet Mauel Philes, for example "…Therefore,
receive from us the golden adornment, together with the stones
set in it. For with the invisible ring of your prayers, and
with the spiritual stones of your miracles, you force away from
us hidden wolves." Many examples were melted down for their
bullion during periods of financial crisis, as demanded by John
VI Kantakouzenos during the mid-fourteenth. Other terms used
for revetments or frames include: ependousis, kosmos, kosmesis,
palaision.
tiraz (Persian, "embroidery"): inscribed
textiles made in state workshops for distribution by a ruler
to his courtiers and vassals. The practice became common during
the ninth century onward, under the Abbasid Caliphate. Evidence
of the use of this honorific is found in Armenian and Georgian
sources.
Trebizond: after the Fall of Constantinople
to the knights of the Fourth Crusade in 1204, three centers
of Byzantine power emerged from the political vacuum: Epiros
in north-western Greece, Nicea in Asia Minor and Trebizond on
the coast of the black Sea in Pontos. The Trapezuntine Empire
was founded by Alexios I Komnenos, who together with his successors
ruled from this remote outpost. The city was far from Constantinople,
and surrounded by Islamic-ruled territories. However, this situation
assisted the kingdom to survive the fall of Constantinople in
1453; Trebizond itself only succumbed to the Ottomans in 1261;
its history was recorded by the chronicler Michael Panaretos.
Tree of Jesse: iconographic program probably
of western European origin depicting a reclining Jesse, the
father of King David, at the bottom of the composition. From
Jesse’s loins or stomach emerges a tree, each branch of
which represents members of his lineage, the ancestors of Christ
on his mother’s side. The Virgin is represented on the
stem and Christ is shown surmounting the tree. The tree of Jesse
appears in Cilician manuscripts of the thirteenth century, and
makes an appearance in Byzantine narthex parietal programs during
the Palaiologan Period at Hagia Sophia, Trebizond; Holy Apostles
at Thessaloniki, and notably at in a number of Serbian churches
at Sopocani, Arlije, Prizren, and Dečani. The iconography
is occasionally used in contrast with that of the Nemanjid Dynasts.
Trisagion (Gr., "thrice-holy"): liturgical
invocation: "Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal,
have mercy on us."
troparion, troparia: stanza of a hymn.
tsar: Slavic equivalent for the Greek term
"Basileus," which was used for the Byzantine Emperor.
Later, when the rulers of Bulgaria’s Second Empire, Dušan
of Serbia and eventually when Russia’s Ivan IV claim the
imperial title for themselves, they utilize the term "Tsar."
Twelve-Feasts, see dodekaorton
tympanum, tympana (Lat., "drum"):
the triangular area enclosed within a classical pediment.
typikon, typika: Foundation document laying
down the rules for the monastic community; also, a text outlining
the order of services throughout the liturgical year. Many typika
were written by aristocratic ketetors, or founders, and are
highly detailed in such aspects as the placement and number
of lamps to be lit on specific feasts, who may be buried within
the monastery church, and the type of commemoration services
the community is required to perform for the benefit of the
founder and their family. Not only are religious duties outlined
in typika, but rules regarding food, bathing, and the distribution
of clothing to the inhabitants are included. Typika are a rich
source of documentation and provide an interesting glimpse into
the thought processes of Byzantine aristocratic patrons.
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