ICONOCLAST is a difficult word that triggered a disputed question on a recent SAT. Fortunately, ICONOCLAST has an interesting history that clarifies its meaning.
Christianity dominated religious life in the Byzantine Empire (330 AD – 1453 AD). Known as icons, paintings and statues of Mary and revered saints played an increasingly important role in state and private religious ceremonies. During the 8th and early 9th centuries, a series of Byzantine emperors argued that the icons violated the Old Testament prohibition of worshipping “graven images.” Known as ICONOCLASTS, they ordered the destruction of all sacred icons.
ICONOCLAST thus began as a description of anyone who attempted to destroy physical works of art. During the mid-19th century, the meaning shifted to describe anyone attacking settled beliefs or cherished institutions.
It is a long way from the Byzantine ICONOCLASTS to an SAT vocabulary in context passage devoted to Dmitri Mendeleev and the first periodic tables. Hang in, I promise the next paragraph will clarify everything!
Mendeleev published the first periodic table in 1869. However, his pioneering work contained flaws such as the incorrect placement of helium and hydrogen. Led by Henry Moseley, reformers addressed the problem of the misplaced elements. These reformers were not ICONOCLASTS because they attempted to correct and not destroy Mendeleev’s periodic table.
Many confused students who didn’t know the meaning of ICONOCLAST chose EMULATE as the best answer. WRONG! EMULATE means to copy or imitate. The periodic table reforms did not want to EMULATE or imitate the mistakes in Mendeleev’s original work.
ICONOCLAST – a person who attacks and ridicules cherished figures, ideas, and institutions
EMULATE – to copy or imitate someone or something