An iconoclastic episode during the reign of Heraclius: John Seismus and the use of heritage for political purposes

Abstract

Taking as a starting point an anecdote from the Chronicon Paschale about a riot in Constantinople, a study is made of the political uses of heritage. Applying a qualitative methodology based on a critical analysis of the 7th century text, three aspects are explored: (a) the correct dating of the fragment in the light of the historiographical debate on the subject; (b) the identification of certain characters, most of whom are only known to us through this news item; and (c) the study of the heritage space as a political scenario and the episode of iconoclasm derived from the riot.