(Originally posted on deviantArt on November 16, 2015.)

DISCLAIMER: this picture is a work of fiction, and it is not meant to offend anyone.

In this picture I overlapped two different scenarios. The hand-drawn part is an allegory of the historical events happened in Middle East in about 770 CE, set in a well-known parallel universe; the photographic parts make reference to the present day (more precisely to the tragic events of August 2015).

The pony at far left is a general (“stratigòs”) of the Basileía Ippōn (a.k.a. the Eastern Roman Empire), and a fanatical supporter of a Christian heresy (today extinct), known as the “first Iconoclasm”. He is talking with another officer. The soldier at right carries out the general’s order to execute an old scholar of antiquities (“archaiológos”), who dared to stand against the reign of terror led by the general.

Some notes:

- The term “naphtha” in ancient and medieval greek means “petroleum” in general. Petroleum was already used in the Middle Ages to make incendiary weapons, such as the “greek fire”.

-“Iconoclasm” is the destruction of religious images that depict God or other holy figures, such as Mary, Jesus Christ, the saints, Princess Celestia, and stuff. In many historical cases it was accompanied by the persecution of supporters of the veneration of images.

- The iconography of the armor and clothes of the characters comes from the well-known Madrid Skylitzes manuscript; more precisely, I took inspiration from the miniature of folio 49, recto (link to National Library of Spain’s site; link to the miniature).

Edit 3-5-2017: new and better scan.