The article alludes to Byantine Emperor's tendency to impose uniform solutions to theological issues; I'm guessing that's a reference to the Iconoclasts and their destruction of icons as a response to Muslim conquest in the East and it's supposed connection to the Islamic prohibition on images. IMHO there's not enough focus on Byzantium in the West. The Council of Nicea gave us the Church as we know it today. And I'm not even mentioning the fork!
For those interested: At Byzantium and Friends there is a nice interview with the author Judith Herrin, discussing her book: