After the death of Theodosius in AD 395, the Roman Empire was partitioned permanently into the West and the East. The West survived until Romulus Augustulus was deposed by the barbarian Odoacer in AD 476. The Eastern Empire continued on until Constantinople, the capital of the East, was captured by Mahomet II in 1453. Though the empire in the west ceased to exist, the power of the Popes of Rome grew, holding sway over the barbarian kings. Though the barbarians were tainted with Arianism, the Franks, with the conversion of Clovis in AD 496, became the upholders of Orthodoxy.
The Conversion of the Franks—Clovis AD 481-511
The Franks were a people of Germany dwelling in the north of France. Clovis their king was a pagan, but his wife Clotilda embraced the Catholic faith. Not unlike Constantine, Clovis, finding himself in danger while in battle, called upon Clotilda’s God. After a decisive victory he submitted to baptism with three thousand of his warriors. Though Christianity seemed to have little practical influence, Clovis found that it furthered his political objectives. He went on to be the founder of the great French monarchy, and from his adherence to the Catholic faith and his alliance with the Roman pontiff, he was acknowledged as the only orthodox sovereign in the West. The other monarchs of the time were Arian.
The Establishment of Image-Worship
Leo III, emperor of the east, ascended the throne in the year 717. In about the year 726 he issued an edict against the superstitious use of images, though not demanding their destruction. It is generally felt that his motives were selfish. The first edict aroused the people, but the resulting insurrection was put down. A more stringent decree resulted, and the destruction of the images was ordered. When the orders arrived to enforce the decrees within the Italian dependencies of the empire, the people took up arms, rallying around pope Gregory II. Leo was portrayed as a fallen apostate. In a letter, the Pope states: “How deplorable is the change! How tremendous the scandal! You now accuse the Catholics of impiety and ignorance. To this ignorance we are compelled to adapt the grossness of our style and arguments: the first elements of holy letters are sufficient for your confusion; and, were you to enter a grammar school, and avow yourself the enemy of our worship, the simple and pious children would cast their tablets at your head.” In a condescending tone, and with lies and false arguments, he defended the position of the church and image worship.
Gregory II did not long survive. He was succeeded by a pope of the same mind, Gregory III. At a vast assembly, in the presence of the sacred relics of the Apostle Peter, a decree was framed and unanimously adopted and signed by all present, to the effect that “If any person should hereafter, in contempt of the ancient and faithful customs of all Christians, and of the apostolic church in particular, stand forth as a destroyer, defamer, or blasphemer of the sacred images of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and of His mother, the immaculate ever-Virgin Mary, of the blessed apostles, and all other saints, he be excluded from the body and blood of the Lord, and from the communion of the universal church.” Both pope Gregory III and the emperor Leo III died in 741. The former was succeeded by pope Zachary, the latter by his son Constantine V.
Constantine V was unrelenting in his persecution of image worshippers. He is blamed for great cruelty towards the monks. He was succeeded in 775 by Leo IV, a man of feeble constitution, both of mind and body. On the death of the feeble Leo in 780, Irene his wife seized the government in the name of her son, Constantine VI, ruling as co-regent. Irene, by the opportunities of death or removal, judiciously filled the episcopal seats with men of her own choosing. In 787, decrees were issued for a council to be held at Nice, a city distinguished by the first council held there. In just 18 days, the decision was made. A canon was issued in favour of image worship, while the iconoclasts — those against image worship — were counted as heretics. The images were to be treated as “holy memorials, worshipped, kissed, only without that peculiar adoration which is reserved for the Invisible, Incomprehensible, God.” The destroyers of images were to be excommunicated.
In 797, the ambitious Irene commanded that her son be rendered incapable of governing, and so according to her command, Constantine VI was stabbed in the eyes. Blinded, Constantine lived the remainder of his long life in obscurity. Irene reigned on until 802.