List of illustrations

  1. Gold solidus of Theodosius I. (Photo: © Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, Washington, DC. (BZC.1948.17.866))

  2. Gold solidus of Honorius. (Photo: © Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photo: Lutz-Jürgen Lübke/© 2020 Scala, Florence/BPK, Berlin)

  3. Gold solidus of Galla Placidia. (Photo: © Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, Washington, DC (BZC.1948.17.932))

  4. Gold solidus of Constantius. (Photo: © Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, Washington, DC (BZC.1948.17.930))

  5. Gold solidus of Theodosius II. (Photo: Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photo: Lutz-Jürgen Lübke/© 2020 Scala, Florence/BPK, Berlin)

  6. ‘Mausoleum’ of Galla Placidia, Ravenna. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

  7. Mosaic of St Lawrence, ‘Mausoleum’ of Galla Placidia. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

  8. Dome of the ‘mausoleum’. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

  9. Dome of the Baptistery of Neon, Ravenna. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

10. Dome of the Arian Baptistery, Ravenna. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

11. South wall of S. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

12. The Palace (Palatium) mosaic, S. Apollinare Nuovo. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

13. Mosaic showing the walled city of Classis, S. Apollinare Nuovo. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

14. Mosaic of Christ’s healing of the paralytic, S. Apollinare Nuovo. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

15. Mosaic of the Last Supper, S. Apollinare Nuovo. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

16. Gold triple solidus of Theoderic. (Photo: Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome)

17. Theoderic’s Mausoleum, Ravenna. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

18. Gold tremissis of Romulus Augustulus. (Photo: Roma Numismatics)

19. Gold tremissis minted by Odoacer in the name of the Emperor Zeno. (Photo: Bertolami Fine Arts)

20. Silver quarter siliqua of Athalaric. (Photo: Artemide Aste)

21. Bronze coin of Theodahad. (Photo: The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham)

22. Silver half siliqua of Baduila/Totila. (Photo: © The Trustees of the British Museum (1853,0716.324)

23. Silver half siliqua of Witigis. (Photo: Classical Numismatic Group)

24. Page from the Codex Argenteus. (Photo: Uppsala University Library (MS DG 1, fol. 99r))

25. Fragment of the Annals of Ravenna. (Photo: Domstiftbibliothek, Merseburg (Codex 202 verso))

26. Fragment of the Annals of Ravenna. (Photo: Domstiftbibliothek, Merseburg (Codex 202 recto))

27. Capital with the monogram of Theoderic, Piazza del Popolo, Ravenna. (Photo: the author)

28. Bronze coin of 10 nummi, with a personification of Ravenna. (Photo: Roma Numismatics)

29. Lead pipe from the aqueduct with inscription commemorating Theoderic. (Photo: Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Ravenna. Reproduced with permission of the Polo Museale, Emilia Romagna)

30. Exterior view of San Vitale, Ravenna. (Photo: Interfoto/Alamy)

31. Detail of apse mosaic showing Bishop Ecclesius presenting the church to Christ, San Vitale. (Photo: Classic Image/Alamy)

32. View of the apse and interior of the dome, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

33. Impost block with the monogram of Bishop Victor, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

34. Sarcophagus lid inscribed with Exarch Isaac’s epitaph, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

35. Early Christian sarcophagus re-used for the burial of Exarch Isaac, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

36. Ivory throne of Archbishop Maximian. (Photo: Museo Arcivescovile, Ravenna)

37. Mosaic panel showing Emperor Justinian and his retinue, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

38. Mosaic panel showing Empress Theodora and her retinue, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

39. Detail of young, beardless Christ in the apse mosaic, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

40. Detail of mature, bearded Christ from the arch in front of the apse, San Vitale. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

41. Gold solidus of Justinian II, with young, beardless Christ. (Photo: The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham)

42. Gold solidus of Justinian II, with mature, bearded Christ. (Photo: The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham)

43. Apse of the church of Bishop Eufrasius of Parentium, Poreč, Croatia. (Photo: John Elk III/Alamy)

44. Mosaic panel of the Visitation, church of Bishop Eufrasius. (Photo: Dusan Djordjevic)

45. The chapel of S. Maria in Formosa, Pula, Croatia. (Photo: the author)

46. Ninth-century copy of the text of the physician, Simplicius. (Photo: © Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan)

47. Gold solidus of Emperor Constans II and his son, Constantine. (Photo: Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Dr Norman Zaworski (2012.22))

48. Remains of the honorary column of Phokas, the Forum, Rome. (Photos: (left) André de Montbard; (right) Jeff Bondono/www.Jeff-Bondono.com)

49. Exterior of S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Giorgio Morara/ Alamy)

50. Interior of S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

51. Apse mosaic, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

52. Mosaic portrait of S. Severus, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

53. Mosaic portrait of Bishop Ursicinus. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

54. The Privilegia mosaic, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

55. Lead seal of the exarch Theodore. (Photo: © Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, Washington, DC (BZS.1955.1.1181)

56. Manuscript of the Vitas Patrum, copied in Ravenna by an unknown scribe, c. 700. (Photo: Archivio arcivescovile, Ravenna (Cod 4, fols. 5v-6r))

57. Detail of the hand of God from the apse mosaic, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

58. Detail of mosaic showing the Garden of Paradise, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

59. Early Christian sarcophagus re-used by Archbishop Theodore, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Cameraphoto Arte Venezia/Bridgeman Images)

60. Sarcophagus of Archbishop Felix, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Wikimedia Creative Commons/Sailko)

61. Sarcophagus of Archbishop John, beneath an inscription recording his gifts to the church, S. Apollinare in Classe. (Photo: Kieran Dodds)

62. Interior of the Palatine Chapel, Aachen Cathedral, Germany. (Photo: Wikimedia Creative Commons/Sailko)

Note: Of the photographs taken by Kieran Dodds, nos. 7–9, 32–5 and 37–40 are reproduced with the kind permission of the Opera di Religione of the Ravenna-Cervia diocese; nos. 10–15, 50–54, 57–8 and 61 are reproduced with kind permission of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Regional Direction of the Museums of Emilia-Romagna.