Chapter 3 introduces the eight Byzantine churches housing visual depictions of Christ’s miracles and presents a thematic analysis of the cycle. The first part of this chapter examines the selection process of the episodes depicted in early Palaiologan cycles and their iconography. It theorizes how the choices were made about which miracles were included or excluded and delves into the political and theological concerns that might have affected this selection. The second part of the chapter assesses and explains the iconographic peculiarities of this period by examining the development of Christ’s miracles in the early Palaiologan period in comparison to earlier visual material.

Chapter 4 discusses the episodes’ setting and layout within the space of the church. It examines chronological, liturgical, and didactic devices, coming to the conclusion that there is a fixed core of episodes that is repeated in each church while the remaining miracles always vary. Identifying this lack of a single codified program is at the heart of both Chapters 3 and 4, and it suggests a greater fluidity and flexibility than we are used to ascribing to Byzantine art.

Chapter 1 sets the critical stage for the exponential increase of the iconography of Christ’s miracles by providing the contemporary sociopolitical, historical, and religious context. I focus specifically on the results of the shift from the Unionist policy of Andronikos II’s father, Michael VIII, to the empowerment of the Orthodox Church pursued by Andronikos himself. Miracles play an intriguing role in the theological debates and justifications for the reinstatement of Orthodoxy under Andronikos. The period of religious fervor and intellectual flourishing that the emperor enabled during his long reign formed the fertile environment in which the new miracle iconography could develop.

Chapter 5 takes a step back and considers, individually and comprehensively, the eight Byzantine churches that housed Christ’s miracle cycles. Specifically, I examine how the overall iconographic program of each church impacted the inclusion of the miracle cycle. I ask who were the promulgators of this new iconographic program and what kind of audience we imagine viewing these scenes. By trying to answer these questions, this chapter defines the role played by the miracle cycle in the broader context of church decoration and patronage, leading to a claim of its distinctive status.