Uploaded by Theophylaktos Kallimykteres 
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Description
(Originally posted on deviantArt on November 16, 2015.)
DISCLAIMER: this picture is a work of fiction, and it is not meant to offend anyone.
In this picture I overlapped two different scenarios. The hand-drawn part is an allegory of the historical events happened in Middle East in about 770 CE, set in a well-known parallel universe; the photographic parts make reference to the present day (more precisely to the tragic events of August 2015).
The pony at far left is a general (“stratigòs”) of the Basileía Ippōn (a.k.a. the Eastern Roman Empire), and a fanatical supporter of a Christian heresy (today extinct), known as the “first Iconoclasm”. He is talking with another officer. The soldier at right carries out the general’s order to execute an old scholar of antiquities (“archaiológos”), who dared to stand against the reign of terror led by the general.
Some notes:
DISCLAIMER: this picture is a work of fiction, and it is not meant to offend anyone.
In this picture I overlapped two different scenarios. The hand-drawn part is an allegory of the historical events happened in Middle East in about 770 CE, set in a well-known parallel universe; the photographic parts make reference to the present day (more precisely to the tragic events of August 2015).
The pony at far left is a general (“stratigòs”) of the Basileía Ippōn (a.k.a. the Eastern Roman Empire), and a fanatical supporter of a Christian heresy (today extinct), known as the “first Iconoclasm”. He is talking with another officer. The soldier at right carries out the general’s order to execute an old scholar of antiquities (“archaiológos”), who dared to stand against the reign of terror led by the general.
Some notes:
- The term “naphtha” in ancient and medieval greek means “petroleum” in general. Petroleum was already used in the Middle Ages to make incendiary weapons, such as the “greek fire”.
~~“Iconoclasm” is the destruction of religious images that depict God or other holy figures, such as Mary, Jesus Christ, the saints, Princess Celestia, and stuff. In many historical cases it was accompanied by the persecution of supporters of the veneration of images.
~~ The iconography of the armor and clothes of the characters comes from the well-known Madrid Skylitzes manuscript; more precisely, I took inspiration from the miniature of folio 49, recto (link to National Library of Spain’s site; link to the miniature).
Edit 3-5-2017: new and better scan.
I don’t think it ruins it completely though.
It’s all explained in the description.
And I agree with you somehow: real life in general ruins everything. Real life is ugly, indeed.
Also, thanks for your feedback.
Edited
Edited
IC XC is a Christogram. The banner in the picture instead displays a “tetragrammic cross”, an insignia widely used in the Byzantine Empire.
From the Wikipedia article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_flags_and_insignia#Tetragrammatic_cross:
“As an insigne, the (tetragrammic) cross was already in frequent use in Byzantium since Late Antiquity. Since the 6th century, crosses with quartered letters are known, especially from coinage, forming the acronyms of various invocations, e.g. quartered “X”s for Σταυρὲ Χριστοῦ χάριν χριστιανούς χάριζε (“Cross of Christ bestow grace on the Christians”) or the letters CΒΡΔ for Σταυρὲ σου βοήθει Ρωμανόν δεσπότην (“Thy Cross aid the Lord Romanos”).
Images of flags with crosses quartered with golden discs survive from the 10th century, and a depiction of a flag almost identical to the Palaiologan design is known from the early 13th century.”
Shouldn’t it be IC XC?
This is even more appropriate:
Good one, but this is more appropriate, imo.
“Guys, IS is giving us shit, what do we?”
“Let’s vote for far-right parties
[Just to clarify a hidden meaning expressed by this picture (the swastika on the banner). I don’t want political debates.]
“Destroy everything.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaled_al-Asaad
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_cultural_heritage_by_ISIL