La vie d'âEtienne le jeune : par âEtienne le Diacre

This volume is a primary source for the history of the first byzantine iconoclasm (730-787) and the iconodoulic reaction (787-8150).

The "Life of Stephen the Younger", written in 809 by a deacon of St Sophia, offers a vivid portrayal of the reign of the iconoclast emperor Constantine V - the so called Christian emperor who destroyed Christ's image, against Stephen, the monk, who defended Christ until martyrdom.

The author shows that this manichean presentation is not confirmed by other contemporary sources, which show that Stephen's opposition to Constantine was as political as it was religious, since he was implicated in a plot against the emperor.

Instead, it was the author of the "Life" who was interested in showing Stephen as a saint martyr of icondouly.

The volume contains two chapters on the author and the saint, the Greek text with an introduction to the manuscript tradition and French translation.