''Synthronon'' ( el, σύνθρονον; plural: σύνθρονα, ''synthrona'') is a semicircular tiered structure at the back of the altar in the liturgical

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

of an

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

church that combines benches reserved for the clergy, with the bishop's throne in the centre. The term is known from at least the 5th century. Some of the well-preserved ''synthrona'' exist in the 6th-century

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

churches of Saint Irene and Saint Euphemia in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

. These structures were high enough to allow a space for a passage underneath and along the apse wall. According to the 8th-century Pseudo-Germanos, the bishop's ascent to the ''synthronon'' symbolized both Christ's sacrifice and subsequent glory, while the hierarch seated on the throne and flanked by the clergy represented Christ among his disciples.

References

Greek words and phrases Byzantine sacred architecture Eastern Christian liturgy Thrones {{Church-architecture-stub