Late Roman, Jewish and Early Christian art

Dura Europos Site in present-day Syria

Dura Europos and three types of Worship

But Rome changes drastically after the 1st century CE, much of the novelty attributable to sea changes in religious belief. After the first century, Christianity began to spread from the Eastern Mediterranean (think Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia), through the Roman Empire.



Moschophorus, or Calf Bearer, 570 bce, Archaic Greek,

Moschophorus, or Calf Bearer, 570 bce, Archaic Greek, Good Shepherd, Early Christian, 300 ce, Picasso, Man with Lamb, 1942

 

The material for today covers the transition from the Western Roman Empire centered on Rome, Italy, where most people practiced pantheism, to a Rome influenced by Christianity moving in from the Fertile Crescent and moving its capital to Ravenna in Northern Italy, to the Eastern Roman Empire, Centered at Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey.

At center is the archeological site of Dura-Europos in present day Syria... we're back to the Mediterranean as the major center of cultural exchange during early civilization, and now early periods of empire. For, in this case, Greeks in the aftermath of Hellenistic empire founded Dura-Europos in 303 bce. During the next 200 years, it went under Parthian control, was captured by Romans in 165 bce. Sand and mud covered the city after Romans abandoned it, and it remained thus covered until a British soldier digging a trench discovered a brilliant wall painting there in the 1920's. (American Archeologists had noted the existence of the site in the 19th century) Digs there have uncovered inscriptions in Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Hatrian, Palmyrenean (aramaic dialect), Middle Persian, and Safaitic (arabic). (Thank you wikipedia)

This mingling is evident in today's discussion of religious worship, for archeologists have also discovered Polytheistic, Jewish, and Christian places of worship in Dura-Europos, all painted, it appears, in the same style, and, historians believe, by the same workshops.

We begin where we left off last week: in Rome...

... but the Rome we pick up with looks very different  after the first century ce. We can attribute much of the novelty to sea-changes in religious belief. After the first century, Christianity began to spread from the Eastern Mediterranean (think Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia), through the Roman Empire.

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), Man with Lamb, c. 1960

Cubiculum of Leonis (7-1), Catacomb of Commodilla, near Rome Late 4th C. 

Catacombs, Rome

image source Capuchin Crypts

Capuchin Crypts, begun 1631

The transition from the Western Roman Empire, centered in Rome, Italy, where most people had practiced pantheism, to a Rome influenced by Christianity moving in from the Fertile Crescent and moving its capital to Ravenna in Northern Italy, to the Christian Eastern Roman Empire, Centered at Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey, took place over a few hundred years. We can start the story in the Fertile Crescent area, at the archeological site of Dura-Europos in present day Syria... note that we're back to the Mediterranean as the major center of cultural exchange during early civilization, and now early periods of empire.


This mingling is evident in today's discussion of religious worship, for archeologists have also discovered small and remarkably similar Polytheistic, Jewish, and Christian places of worship in Dura-Europos, all painted, it appears, in the same style, and, historians believe, by the same workshops.

Temple of Bel, a Palmyran God, at Dura Europos

Key Work: synagogue at Dura Europos

Exodus of Moses, Crossing Red Sea, Dura Europos Synagogue, 

Healing of the Paralytic, House Church Dura Europos, 235 ce... one of the Earliest known images of Jesus. Now at  Yale University. "On the right, the paralytic is on his bed. Top center, Christ is saying, “That you may know that the Son ofMan has power to forgive sins: rise up, take up your bed and walk.” On the left, the man takes his bed (a cot-like couch) and walks away. This story is appropriate for a baptismal chamber, in that it represents the forgiveness of sins. source

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house church at Dura Europos

house church at Dura Europos

For an expansion on this material, and introduction to the materials for next week, you can the following video.

In this segment, you'll see the  Basilica-style church of San Vitale in Ravenna.
As you look at the segment, consider the differences you see in artistic styles from the Roman emphasis on colossal architecture to Christian emphasis on clear narration of specific stories. After watching this video, you should know a bit about the emergence of art associated with early Christianity in the Roman Empire and the 'Ancient Near East' (that is, present day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq).

Early Christian Introduction from betsy towns on Vimeo.


Great resource on Early Christian Art

for next time:

Sacrifice of Conon, Temple of Bel, Dura Europos, 1st century ce

Temple of Zeus, Dura Europos

Roman God Mithra from Dura Europos, source

Plaster cast copy of Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, original is 359 C.E., marble (Treasury, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, photo: Steven Zucker, Smarthistory)

Giving of the law (tradition legis) (detail), Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, 359 C.E., marble (Treasury, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City; photo: Steven Zucker,Smarthistory

Adam and Eve (detail), plaster copy of Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, original is 359 C.E., marble (Treasury, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City; photo: Steven Zucker, Smarthistory

additional resources on destruction of art in Syria. 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/06/29/world/middleeast/isis-historic-sites-control.html?_r=0

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150901-isis-destruction-looting-ancient-sites-iraq-syria-archaeology/