The years c. 700-850 mark one of the formative periods of medieval Byzantine history. As the Empire fended off and responded to the constant pressure of Islamic invasions and raids, the structure of government changed fundamentally in order to deal with the transformed situation. Social and religious practices were also radically redefined, leading to the struggles of iconoclasm, one of the most fascinating but least understood periods in Byzantine history. This work provides the first ever comprehensive treatment of the period and presents a detailed account of the art, politics, society, culture and economy of the Byzantine Empire during the 'Age of Iconoclasm'. It challenges many of the established assumptions about the role of icons in Orthodox practice, the structure of imperial government and administration, the nature of iconoclast rule, the origins and evolution of Iconoclasm itself, and the strategies of the emperors Leo III and Constantine V.