Eikonoklastes

Eikonoklastes is a 1603 polemical work by John Milton, written in response to a publication by William Bishop, an English Catholic priest. Bishop had written a treatise defending the veneration of images, and Milton's Eikonoklastes, meaning "image-breaker" in Greek, was his direct refutation of this defense. The title itself is a deliberate echo of the Byzantine iconoclasts who opposed the use of religious images.

Milton's primary target was not just Bishop's arguments but also the immensely popular book Eikon Basilike, which purported to be the private meditations of King Charles I. Eikon Basilike was published shortly after Charles I's execution and presented him as a pious martyr. Milton, a staunch Parliamentarian and republican, viewed Eikon Basilike as a piece of propaganda designed to generate sympathy for the royalist cause.

In Eikonoklastes, Milton systematically dissects and criticizes the content of Eikon Basilike. He challenges the authenticity of the work, questions the King's piety and political judgment, and argues against the divine right of kings. Milton uses his extensive knowledge of scripture, history, and classical literature to undermine the image of the martyred king that Eikon Basilike sought to portray. The work is a powerful example of Milton's prose style and his commitment to political and religious liberty, as he understood it. It remains a significant text in understanding Milton's engagement with the political and religious controversies of the English Civil War period.