Oration on Images

Also known as: De Imaginibus Orationes, Apologetic Treatises against Those Decrying Holy Images, First Oration on Images
Author: St. John of Damascus

John of Damascus's defence of the veneration of icons, citing miracles associated with holy images, including the vision of the martyr Mercury seen by Basil before an image of Our Lady.

Preliminaries

TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI. — Damascene cited (from Helladius) on Basil's vision before an image of Our Lady, in which the martyr Mercury appeared with a bloodied spear, portending the death of Julian the Apostate
"so Damascene writes from Helladius, in his first Oration On Images"