GLOSSARY
419
Stavropegic:
a monastery subordinated directly to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Stoa:
an oblong building with one long side open and
supported by a row of columns or piers.
Superstructure:
part of a building above the building’s
foundation.
Theme:
administrative district governed by a general with
military and administrative authority.
Tourma:
military / administrative head of local government
commanded by a
tourmarches
.
Tribelon:
opening consisting of three arches supported by
columns and the wall in which the tribelon was located.
Vigla:
a watchtower.
Refectory:
a building or hall within a monastery where monks
had their meals.
Rib:
relief band of circular or semicircular cross-section.
Row of piers:
piers in a row supporting part of a structure.
Sarcophagus:
a stone coffin with relief decoration, for burials.
The
pseudosarcophagus
was widely used in the Byzantine
period, featuring the slab of the main side of a sarcophagus
that was placed on an arcosolium.
Shrine:
a relief frame surrounding isolated depictions of
sacred figures. Usually part of the altar screen, between the
bema and the parabemata (prothesis and diakonicon).
Skete:
a small monastery dependency.
Spolia:
architectural elements, usually reliefs, that have been
detached from their original location and have been reused as
building / decorative material.
