ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the depiction of children in association with members of their families with parents, siblings and step relations in Byzantine art. It examines the nature of the portrayal of familial structures, whether nuclear or extended as well as the more intricate arrangements of blended' families with stepchildren and step-parents. The chapter looks at imagery conveying children's power and discusses the roles of the children of the emperors and their kin as seen on coins and in manuscripts. It examines biblical families, including the Virgin's. The chapter explores donor portraits, focusing on three examples in Cappadocia, and considers the ways in which children are included and how familial units are presented. The themes therefore highlight the portrayal of children in three integral areas of Byzantine art: the first two encapsulating secular and religious authority with representations of political power and Christian imagery, and the third looking to the popular depiction of living or recently living individuals in religious benefaction.
