DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27365#0052
40
/COJVOGRzMW/C PROGRAMME
Armenian nationaiity. St Acacios aiso came from Armenia while St Paul was exiled to
that country and died there.
There is another noteworthy feature of the holy bishops tier. Bishops of the
Roman Catholic church occupy a significant place in the sanctuary frescoes. Popes
Sylvester and Clement stand at the centres of the first and second tiers^. Depictions
of these saints, who were canonised by both the Greek and the Latin churches, may
periodically be encountered in Byzantine iconographic programmes but in Akhtala
they occupy especially privileged positions. Among the holy bishops we also find
Ambrose of Milan who, according to Chr. Walter, was not depicted in the sanctuary
apses of Byzantine churches^. Some explanation must be found for this emphasis of
the "Roman theme" in a Caucasian church so far from the Latin West. It should be
sought in the historical situation faced by Armenia at the turn of the 13th century.
The idea of the union of Christian churches was at that time extremely popular in
Armenia^. Lengthy negotiations between the Armenian and Greek churches ended
with a formal declaration of union signed at the Romkla synod in 1179. At the end of
the 12th century the pro-Western orientation predominated in Cilician Armenia and
in 1199 union was concluded with the Roman Catholic church. In Eastern Armenia
the ecumenical activities of the Cilician Catholicosate did not gain universal
recognition and the conservative clergy spoke out against a rapprochement between
the different confessions. There are grounds for believing, nevertheless, that Zakare
Mkhargrdzeli, the ruler of Eastern Armenia, was a convinced supporter of the union
since he followed Cilicia in ecclesiastical issues^. The idea of union was also dear to
Zakare's brother Ivane, the patron of the wall paintings of Akhtala. Conversion to the
Chalcedonian church did not prevent him taking an active part in the affairs of the
Armenian Monophysite church. He likewise played an important role in the Georgian
kingdom's negotiations with Rome. Certain historical evidence permits us to talk of
the special relations that existed between the Armenian-Chalcedonians and the
Catholic church^.
Given this context the appearance of the "Roman theme" in the Akhtala frescoes
does not seem strange. The inclusion of an entire series of Latin saints, revered in both
the Catholic and the Orthodox churches, may be seen as a direct reflection of the
position of the Armenian-Chalcedonians concerning church union. The unity of the
Christian confessions, so important a theme of the Chalcedonians, is stressed in the
iconographic programme. Their particular interest is easily understandable. Only
union could stabilise the uneasy and ambiguous position of this ethno-confessional
55 Only the word "Roman" has been preserved on the Greek inscription in the second image, north
of the synthronon. Yet the features of the iconographic type and the initial letters of the parallel
Georgian inscription, "KLIMI", leave no doubt that it was Clement of Rome.
5^ Walter, Art and Mtan/, p. 222.
57 For a concise presentation of the facts and the latest bibliography, see TAfoire der arment'enj,
sous la direction de G. Dedeyan, Toulouse, 1982, p. 317-319.
58 Zakare's stance was clearly manifested in his disputes with the conservative clergy at the
Church councils of the early 13th century. See Kuirakos, pp. 120-123.
59 See Muradian, "Cultural Activities", pp. 329-330.
/COJVOGRzMW/C PROGRAMME
Armenian nationaiity. St Acacios aiso came from Armenia while St Paul was exiled to
that country and died there.
There is another noteworthy feature of the holy bishops tier. Bishops of the
Roman Catholic church occupy a significant place in the sanctuary frescoes. Popes
Sylvester and Clement stand at the centres of the first and second tiers^. Depictions
of these saints, who were canonised by both the Greek and the Latin churches, may
periodically be encountered in Byzantine iconographic programmes but in Akhtala
they occupy especially privileged positions. Among the holy bishops we also find
Ambrose of Milan who, according to Chr. Walter, was not depicted in the sanctuary
apses of Byzantine churches^. Some explanation must be found for this emphasis of
the "Roman theme" in a Caucasian church so far from the Latin West. It should be
sought in the historical situation faced by Armenia at the turn of the 13th century.
The idea of the union of Christian churches was at that time extremely popular in
Armenia^. Lengthy negotiations between the Armenian and Greek churches ended
with a formal declaration of union signed at the Romkla synod in 1179. At the end of
the 12th century the pro-Western orientation predominated in Cilician Armenia and
in 1199 union was concluded with the Roman Catholic church. In Eastern Armenia
the ecumenical activities of the Cilician Catholicosate did not gain universal
recognition and the conservative clergy spoke out against a rapprochement between
the different confessions. There are grounds for believing, nevertheless, that Zakare
Mkhargrdzeli, the ruler of Eastern Armenia, was a convinced supporter of the union
since he followed Cilicia in ecclesiastical issues^. The idea of union was also dear to
Zakare's brother Ivane, the patron of the wall paintings of Akhtala. Conversion to the
Chalcedonian church did not prevent him taking an active part in the affairs of the
Armenian Monophysite church. He likewise played an important role in the Georgian
kingdom's negotiations with Rome. Certain historical evidence permits us to talk of
the special relations that existed between the Armenian-Chalcedonians and the
Catholic church^.
Given this context the appearance of the "Roman theme" in the Akhtala frescoes
does not seem strange. The inclusion of an entire series of Latin saints, revered in both
the Catholic and the Orthodox churches, may be seen as a direct reflection of the
position of the Armenian-Chalcedonians concerning church union. The unity of the
Christian confessions, so important a theme of the Chalcedonians, is stressed in the
iconographic programme. Their particular interest is easily understandable. Only
union could stabilise the uneasy and ambiguous position of this ethno-confessional
55 Only the word "Roman" has been preserved on the Greek inscription in the second image, north
of the synthronon. Yet the features of the iconographic type and the initial letters of the parallel
Georgian inscription, "KLIMI", leave no doubt that it was Clement of Rome.
5^ Walter, Art and Mtan/, p. 222.
57 For a concise presentation of the facts and the latest bibliography, see TAfoire der arment'enj,
sous la direction de G. Dedeyan, Toulouse, 1982, p. 317-319.
58 Zakare's stance was clearly manifested in his disputes with the conservative clergy at the
Church councils of the early 13th century. See Kuirakos, pp. 120-123.
59 See Muradian, "Cultural Activities", pp. 329-330.