This course surveys the arts of the Byzantine Empire-- that is, the Late Rome Empire  with its capital in Constantinople, 312-1453 C.E., including Italy, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and Russia. The course will examine architecture, city planning, mosaics and frescoes, icons, sculpture, and the minor arts, with special attention given to the role of the Orthodox Church in the production and reception of works of art. Other topics include the role of art in the creation of a sacred presence, Iconoclasm and the theology of images, imperial patronage, and the relationship of Byzantine artistic culture to that of its neighbors.