The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes) · Chapter 218
Iconoclast Controversy
Beginning with Leo III's edict against religious images in 726 CE, the Iconoclast controversy divided the Byzantine Empire and church for over a century, causing schism with Rome.
Outcome
Icons were eventually restored in 843 CE, but the controversy weakened Byzantine unity and contributed to the growing estrangement between Eastern and Western Christianity.