Capital, October 829 AD. Iconoclastic Prince Theophilos ascends to the Byzantine throne after the death of his father, Michael II the Amorian. Nothing reveals the strong passions hidden within him, his doomed love for Cassiane, whom, on a whim, renounced her and chose Theodora as his companion. In the years to come, Theophilos and Cassiane will confront their destinies: his vision of the need for deep religious reform without the idols of icons, for free education and justice, her desire to build her small monastery and dedicate herself to God, to write the hymns she felt destined for. Alongside them, hidden iconolaters and iconoclasts, enlightened scholars and monks, faithful friends and ruthless officials, in an empire where no one trusts anyone... A historical novel, fictional biography, initiatory journey of self-discovery, the swan song of Maria Lampadaridou-Pothou (1933-2023) pays tribute to a prominent female figure of the Byzantine world, the poet and hymnographer Cassiane.
