Nicopeia

A Nicopeia (also spelled Nicopoeia) is a type of acheiropoietos icon specifically referring to icons of the Virgin Mary. The term literally means "made by victory" or "bringer of victory" from the Greek words "nike" (victory) and "poiein" (to make, create). The appellation is associated with the belief that these icons aided in military successes and offered protection, especially to the Byzantine Empire and later to Venice. The most famous example is the Theotokos Nicopeia icon, traditionally believed to have been painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist. This specific icon was venerated in the Monastery of Stoudios in Constantinople and later moved to Venice following the Fourth Crusade. The term "Nicopeia" is now often used to refer to copies or similar representations of this specific original icon, and more generally, to acheiropoietos Marian icons believed to have miraculous powers, particularly those connected with military triumphs.