Figures of mounted warrior saints in medieval Crete. The representation of the equestrian Saint George “Thalassoperatis” at Diavaide in Heraklion

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Bormpoudaki, M. (2017). Figures of mounted warrior saints in medieval Crete. The representation of the equestrian Saint George “Thalassoperatis” at Diavaide in Heraklion, (41), 143-156. doi:10.2298/ZOG1741143B
Details
Title

Figures of mounted warrior saints in medieval Crete. The representation of the equestrian Saint George “Thalassoperatis” at Diavaide in Heraklion

Subtitle
Author

Maria, Bormpoudaki

Journal

Zograf

Volume
Issue

41

Start page

143

End page

156

ISSN

0350-1361

ISBN
DOI

10.2298/ZOG1741143B

URL

http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/Article.aspx?ID=0350-13611741143B

Date

2017-2020/03/12/13:37:55

Abstract

In the church of Saint George Sfakiotis, built on the outskirts of the settlement Diavaide in the Perfecture of Heraklion in Crete, narrative interest is focused on the large painting with the mounted figures of the military saints George and Demetrios. Saint George is shown together with the young pillion rider, whereas the element of water on the lower part of the scene establishes a connection between the episode of the slave’s release and a rarer variant according to which the liberator saint crosses the sea (‘thalassoperatis’, trans. he who crosses the sea). The iconographic and stylistic analysis of the representation of Saint George as well that of Saint Demetrios at Diaviade reflects the artistic environment of the Eastern Mediterranean, possibly that of Cyprus, where images of equestrian military saints form part of the tradition of the island.

Keywords

Cyprus, Crete, Diavaide, mounted military saints, Saint Demetrios, Saint George, Thalassoperatis