A nation’s tastes and mentality are nowhere more clearly

preserved than in its arts. These embody its lofiest ambitions

and most telling achievements. Byzantium’s arts clearly
reflect the national genius, for the sharp division between
religious and secular art did not hamper Byzantine artists;
since both flourished side by side, artists had ample
opportunity for self expression.
Tamara Talbot Rice​: ​Everyday Life in Byzantium ​[1967]