Bütün kötülüklere karşı: Türkiye müzelerinde bulunan Bizans dönemi küçük koruma objeleri

This dissertation explores the concept of protection and its development in Byzantium over the centuries. In this context, protection is understood as magical, apotropaic, spiritual, and/or pseudo-medical protection against a tangible or intangible danger. This dissertation primarily examines the ways that this concept was reflected in the material world of Byzantium. The source material for this examination is a core group of objects including pendants, flasks, tokens, coins, appliques, badges, and small-size icons dated from the sixth to the fourteenth century from museums and private collections in Turkey. The concept of protection in Byzantium has been studied in different contexts and with various approaches. Different types of protective objects are often seen as distinct entities; similar objects are often grouped together and studied in the context of their primary function, such as amulets being studied in the context of magic, pilgrim objects in the context of pilgrimage, and small-size icons in the context of veneration. However, primary sources and material evidence reveal that protection is linked to certain aspects and practices of magic, pilgrimage, healing, and private devotion. Thus, this dissertation examines small objects studied in these particular contexts in terms of their relation to the function of protection. The primary conclusion of this dissertation is that there was a widespread and continuous usage of protective objects, whether related to magic or religion, over the centuries in Byzantine society. The subject matter of the images and inscriptions on the objects was essential to the function of protection since users viewed these images and inscriptions as intermediaries through which they could communicate with the supernatural. The need for communication with the supernatural emanated from people's desire to attain salvation and their compelling fear of demons, as manifested in the subject matter of the objects and the contexts from which protective objects originated. In addition, lead, as the most common material for the production of protective objects, is examined in terms of its potential role in protection. Lead appears to have been selected for multiple reasons: its binding and apotropaic powers led to its use in magical amulets, while the natural properties and availability of lead account for its use in pilgrim and devotional objects. Overall, the study of these objects provides an insight into the fears and expectations of Byzantine society and how the Byzantines dealt with their worries in their daily lives.