ABSTRACT
Ekphraseis and epigrams that we examined in the previous chapter show a fascination with the luminous qualities of icons and with the presence in them of lively or vivid form. Color was also an important element, as we recall from Damascene and from the Philes ekphrasis where its use in encaustic painting becomes an intricate theological metaphor. In theology, the poetry of St. Symeon the New Theologian recorded his visions of uncreated light and encounters with Christ in unprecedented detail. In the next two centuries, luminosity, color and liveliness became dominant themes in Byzantine secular poetry and literature.
