Svestenicka Geograafija 9

Razvo| kanona das
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2.3.
p, H
4.2.4. Vessels for Administering Baptismal Water
A sma dsh or |ug, possby resembng the patera used for batons
n Roman regous ceremones, appears as a vesse for pourng baptsma
water on the (restored) sarcophagus n the Museo Po Crstano
(g. 2.6), the (aso restored) Orthodox Baptstery mosac (g. 3.11),
6
and on an vory n the Brtsh Museum (g. 3.8).321 The paten, an
ob|ect ordnary assocated wth the eucharst (a contaner for bread),
does not seem to be frequenty depcted as a baptsma vesse, however.
322 A |ug or vase seems to be a source of water (or o) on the Vatcan
gass fragment (g. 3.9).
The Liber Pontifcalis (Syvester) sts a baptsma basn (pelvis) that
Constantne gave to the church at Osta, weghng about forty pounds
(sghty smaer than some of the patens that the emperor presented
320 Thomas Aqunas, Summa 3a. O. 66.art. 7, trans. |ames |. Cunnngham, S|,
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae 57 (New York: McGraw-H 1975), 33. The
beef that mmerson was preferabe to sprnkng was very mportant n some of
the Protestant Reformaton debates as we. Anabaptst groups nssted on the necessty
of mmerson baptsm, to symboze the death, bura, and resurrecton of Chrst.
See George Huntston Wams, The Radical Reformation (Phadepha: Westmnster
Press. 1962), 704, for a partcuary good exampe. Lturgca renewa today often
ncudes a recovery of mmerson baptsm as we.
321 See dscusson above, Chap. 2, pp. 55-8 of ths sarcophagus, and Chap. 3,
pp. 104-6, 108-110 of the mosac and vory. De Bruyne, "Lmposton des mans,"
222-3, argued that the paten must be the work of a ater restorer on the sarcophagus
and the mosac, but noted that a sver spoon from Aquea wth a baptsma scene
aso shows the paten. He does not dscuss the vory exampe noted here.
322 See exampes of some sxth-century patens n Wetzmann, ed., Age of Spirituality,
#546 and #547 as we as dscusson by V. Eburn, 592-8. Patens are mentoned n the
Lib. Pont. (Marcus, Hormsdas; Sergus, and Gregory II).
baptsma mages n ght of turgca documents 143
to that church).323 The Liber Pontifcalis aso records that Sxtus III
(432-440) gave the Basca of Sta. Mara Maggore a twenty-pound
sver stag that woud pour water nto the font, and "a the sacred sver
vesses for baptsm, weghng ve pounds." Sxtus gave the church
of S. Lorenzo a "servce for baptsm or penance, of sver, weghng
ve Roman pounds for use n ether baptsm or rtes assocated wth
penance." Ths was somewhat smaer than another of hs gfts to that
church: an eght-pound sver hand basn.324 One survvng ob|ect, a
sxth-century ade from the Hama treasure (today n the Waters Art
Gaery) served ths purpose. Its bow has a spout for pourng and
ts ong hande bears the nscrpton: "For the remsson of the sns of
Stephen."325
If, as dscussed above, baptsma water was poured over the recpents
head, some knd of vesse woud have been necessary. However,
asde from these vesses mentoned n the Liber Pontifcalis, tte
documentary evdence exsts for the use of patens or any other
vesses that mght have been used for pourng water at baptsm.326 In
genera, dscusson of turgca ob|ects s generay ackng n eary
Chrstan documents, makng the Liber Pontifcalis nformaton dmcut
to corroborate.
4.3. !ndividuals !nvolved in the Rite
4.3.1. Recipients
Amost a of the baptsm scenes from the thrd through the fth centures
show the recpent as a youth or young chd and usuay, but
not aways, mae (cf. g. 2.12 and 3.9 where femaes appear to be
recevng baptsm). The earest and most sgncant exceptons to
showng |esus as a youth are the two Ravenna baptsteres that show
|esus as an adut beng baptzed by |ohn (gs. 3.11, 3.12). If the other
7
mages are nterpreted as depctons soey of |esus baptsm, they
323 Lib. Pont. 34 (Syvester), "pelvim et argento ad baptismum pensantem lib. "#."
324 Lib. Pont. 46 (Xystus). See Van Dam, $oo% of Ponti&s, 37-8.
325 Pubshed n Wetzmann, Age of Spirituality, #537, 603: H. Buschhausen, "Lade
wth Inscrpton."
326 See H. Lecercq, "Patene," 'A(L 2392-2414 and A. Nesbtt, "Paten" '(A,
1571-73. Govann Bonas seventeenth-century work, Rerum Liturgicarum 1.25.3
(1972) mentons certan paterae chrismales ad usum baptismatis et confrmationis but
wthout date, descrpton or expanaton.
144 chapter four
contradct the Gospe narratves that present |esus as an adut at hs
baptsm.327 Many conographc detas pont to |ust such an dentcaton
(e.g., the baptzers wearng an anma skn, the dove, the rocky
banks of a rver etc.), however. As a resut, the conography appears to
represent baptsm n a more generazng way-as a sacrament naugurated
by |esus and shared by every Chrstan.328
Athough t s temptng to vew ths conography as evdence for the
baptsm of nfants or sma chdren, t seems more key that t nstead
represents the symboc return to chdke nnocence through the rtua.
Lterary remans from the second century onward concusvey demonstrate
that nfants and sma chdren were baptzed, but do not suggest
that pedobaptsm was the prevang practce n eary Chrstanty.329
Baptsm of chdren s ndcated by Irenaeus (ca. 177), who asserts that
whe |esus was an adut mae when he came to baptsm, he came to
save a peope, whether nfants or chdren, eders or youths:
He therefore passed through every age, and becomng an nfant for
nfants, thus sanctfyng nfants; a chd for chdren, thus sanctfyng
those who are of ths age . . . a youth for youths, becomng an exampe
to youths, and thus sanctfyng them for the Lord. So kewse he was
an od man for the edery that he mght be a perfect master for a, not
merey as respects the settng forth of the truth, but aso as regards age,
sanctfyng at the same tme the aged aso, and becomng an exampe to
them kewse.330
Ths statement mght expan why Chrst was represented as a youth
at hs baptsm, but t does not expan why he s amost never shown
as an adut n eary Chrstan art.
Evdence aganst ancent pedobaptsm ncudes Tertuans cauton
aganst baptzng young chdren because ther sponsors coud not
327 Luke 3.23 whch says that |esus was thrty years od when he began hs mnstry
s usuay taken as an ndcaton of Chrsts age at hs baptsm.
328 Ths s the hypothess presented above, Chap. 1.
329 The debate between |oachm |eremas and Kurt Aand n the 1960s s an exampe
of schoary dherences over the nterpretaton of evdence-amost a of t based
on documents and nscrptons, wth tte or no menton of the art hstorca data;
|oachm |eremas, The )rigins of !nfant $aptism* A +urther Study in Reply to ,urt
Aland, trans. D.M. Barton (Naperve, IL: Aenson, 1963); and K. Aand, 'id the
-arly (hurch $apti.e !nfants/ (Phadepha: Westmnster Press, 1963). Both Aand
and |eremas agree that nfant baptsm rst appears n the thrd century, but dsagree
on nterpret the evdence from the rst and second centures. See aso G.R. Beasey-
Murray, $aptism in the 0e1 Testament (New York: St. Martns Press, 1962).
330 Irenaeus, 2aer. 2.22.4, trans. ANF 1, 391.
guarantee ther future characters. Furthermore, Tertuan saw no
urgent need for nnocent tte ones to be ceansed from ther sns:
It foows that deferment of baptsm s preferabe, consderng the character,
8
dsposton, and even age of a person; partcuary n the case of
chdren. For what need, f not an emergency, for ther sponsors to be
mpered, because those tte ones mght forsake ther promses through
death or fa due to ther deveopment of an ev character? Indeed, the
Lord sad: "Forbd them not to come to me." So et them come when
they are nearer maturty, when they are earnng, when they are beng
taught what t s that they are comng to. Let them be made Chrstans
when they are abe to know Chrst. Why shoud the nnocent one rush
to the remsson of sns?331
Addtona documentary evdence that both practces contnued
throughout the thrd and nto the fourth century ncudes passages
from the Apostolic Tradition, whch made provson for chdren to be
baptzed rst, before ether the men or women, and aowed parents
or other aduts to speak for those too young to speak for themseves.332
Both Orgen and Cypran permt nfant baptsm, Orgen for the sake
of ther ceansng from sns, and Cypran n order that they may |on
the church for safetys sake. Cypran, perhaps prmary concerned for
newborn nfants n morta danger, argues that baptsm need not even
be deayed the customary eght days after brth (to foow the ancent
aw concernng crcumcson); he admonshes hs reader not to magne
that Gods grace "s dstrbuted n greater or esser degree accordng
to the ages of the recpents."333
Augustnes mother, possby heedng Tertuans admonton, chose
not to baptze her son as an nfant and he remaned a catechumen
unt he was a fuy converted and mature Chrstan. Despte ths, n
hs refutaton of Peagus and hs foowers, Augustne emphaszes the
vaue (and often the necessty) of nfant baptsm. In one of the ant-
Peagan treatses, Augustne nssts that nfant baptsm had scrptura
authorty and that tte ones beonged to the ock of Chrst ony by
baptsm and woud persh f they dd not receve t.334 Smary |erome,
331 Tertuan, $apt. 18.4-5, trans. author (CCL 1: 293.23-34).
332 Trad. ap. 21.4.
333 Orgen, 2om. Luc. 14.5; Cypran, -p. 64. 2-3. Cypran may have been many
concerned wth the necessty to baptze nfants n danger of death.
334 Augustne, Pecc. 3erit. 1.18.23.
146 chapter four
who was aso baptzed as an adut, urged parents to brng ther chdren
forward for baptsm.335
Thrd and fourth-century funerary nscrptons ndcate that sma
chdren receved baptsm, but possby |ust before death.336 For exampe,
a thrd-century nscrpton from Romes Catacomb of Prsca
reads, "!r4en5e, quae vi# cum p4are5ntibus suis m4enses5 " d4ies5 6!
acc4epit5 6!! id4es5 April et redd4idit5 id4es5 A4p5ril" ("Irene, who ved
wth her parents ten months and sx days receved |grace| on Apr 7
and returned |her sou| on Apr 13").337 A fourth-century funerary
mosac from North Afrca once covered the tomb of Vctor, who ved
eght years, three months, and twenty ve days. He s procamed to be
an "nnocent" now n peace, an ndcaton of hs status as a baptzed
Chrstan.338
Gregory of Nazanzens poston ustrates the stuaton n hs regon
of Asa Mnor n the ate fourth century. Hs )ration on 2oly $aptism,
admonshes unbaptzed aduts to receve the sacrament at the festva
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of Epphany. Regardng nfants, he says they are "conscous nether
of the oss nor of the grace." They shoud be baptzed, "f any danger
presses." Otherwse, parents or sponsors shoud wat unt the chd s
at east three years od, or mature enough to sten and answer questons
asked of them about the sacrament.339 Gregory acknowedges that
Chrst hmsef was not baptzed before he was an adut but ponts out
that Chrst was n no danger of dyng unbaptzed, because he had no
need of ceansng. Consequenty, the rsk of beng unbaptzed, Gregory
expans, s that one coud de wthout the sacrament-wthout beng
"cothed n ncorrupton."340
Gregory Nazanzens advce that baptsm be deayed unt chdren
are about three years od coud account for those todder-ke
335 |erome, -p. 107.6 (to Laeta). We aso know that Ambrose and Gregory of
Nazanzen were baptzed as aduts, athough both aso rased n Chrstan househods.
Chrstan emperors, aso, often were baptzed ater n fe. Constantne was baptzed
on hs deathbed, Theodosus I was baptzed on a sck bed (as an adut), whe Vaentnan
II ded as a catechumen. On Constantnes baptsm see Edward Yarnod, S.|., "The
Baptsm of Constantne," StPatr 26 (1991), 95-100.
336 See Everett Ferguson, "Inscrptons and the Orgn of Infant Baptsm," 7ThS ns.
30.1 (1979), 37-46.
337 Deh 1532 (vo. 1, 298), cted n Ferguson, "Inscrptons and the Orgn of Infant
Baptsm," 42.
338 The mosac, from Furnos Mnus, s now n the Bardo Museum n Tuns.
339 Gregory of Nazanzen, )rat. 40. 28, trans., NPNF ser. 2.7, 370.
340 Gregory of Nazanzen, )rat. 40.29.
recpents n eary Chrstan art. However, ths concuson overooks
the great number of heang or resusctaton scenes n whch the one
heaed (e.g., the man born bnd, the paraytc) or returned to fe (e.g.,
Lazarus or the wdows son) aso s shown as sma n stature-usuay
n drect contradcton to the Gospe narratves (cf. g. 2.5). Smary,
representatons of Adam and Eves creaton show them as beng chdszed
and nude.341
Ths frequency of chd-szed gures n eary Chrstan art suggests
the possbty that the magery adapts the common (and contemporary)
Roman conventon of substtutng chdren, or putti, for aduts
n artstc compostons. Chdren were often portrayed as engaged n
adut actvtes (e.g., harvestng crops or ghtng n the arena). Accordng
to Grabar, Chrstans adopted ths "payfu genre" but adapted t
to ncorporate the abstract dea of the eterna, then qucky repacng
the chdren wth adoescents to end a more "serous tone."342 Many
Chrstan art works ncorporate ths famar motf, ncudng the sarcophagus
of |unus Bassus, the oor pavement of the doube basca at
Aquea, and the ceng mosacs of the mausoeum of Sta. Constanza
that show sma chdren harvestng wheat, shng, or makng wne.
Athough the conography may have adapted ths Roman motf, the
gures appearng n ths guse are consstent; they are beng baptzed,
heaed, or re|uvenated. It may be that n each nstance ther stature
symbozes ther status as beng born-agan.
A sgncant body of terary evdence refers speccay to recenty
baptzed (adut) Chrstans as pueri, infantes, or parvuli-ohsprng of
the mother church, newy born from her watery womb/font. In the
10
md-fourth century, Zeno of Verona vvdy empoys ths metaphor
whe exhortng canddates to enter the baptstery:
For now the heath-gvng warmth of the eterna font nvtes you. Now
your Mother adopts you so that she mght gve brth: but not accordng
to the norma order (ea lege), the way your mothers gave brth, who
groaned n chdbrth, and devered you, prsoners of ths word, wang,
sued and wrapped n squad swaddng cothes; but rather |reborn|
exutng, heaveny, free of sn, absoved of everythng, not n fetd crades,
but abundanty nourshed at atar ras among sweet-scents.343
341 On ths see Robn M. |ensen, 8nderstanding -arly (hristian Art (London: Routedge,
2000), 167-80.
342 Grabar, (hristian iconography, 34.
343 Zeno, !nv. font. 1 (Tract. 1.32), trans. author (CCL: 22. 83).
148 chapter four
In a ater nvtaton to the font Zeno urges: "Run qucky to the mky
ud |lacteum laticem| of the generatve font."344 After ther baptsm,
he tes the neophytes that ther brth was wthout materna abor and
free from tears. A of them born from one mother, they are of one
race and naton, |oned n unty nto one body.345
Augustne aso spoke of the newy baptzed as newborn babes. In
hs rst treatse on |ohns epste he descrbes the neophytes:
Behod, now n the name of Chrst |and| through hs bood, whom they
have now confessed, who are caed nfants |infantes|, a ther sns are
forgven. They went n od |veteres|, they went out new |novi|. How s
that they went n od and came out new? Od peope |senes| they went
n, nfants |infantes| they came out. For od age s ethargc, an od fe,
but the nfancy of regeneraton s a new fe.346
In a sermon for Easter Sunday Augustne expans why Easter week
s caed the "Octave of the Infants." Ths week was set asde for the
sacraments of those who were baptzed at the Easter vg. Whereas
before baptsm those ndvduas were caed competentes, because they
were strvng to be born, after baptsm they were addressed as infants
or as parvuli (tte ones).347
The we-attested practce of feedng a mxture of mk and honey
to neophytes wth ther rst eucharst not ony symbozed ther entrance
nto the promsed and "owng wth mk and honey" but aso
ther condton as babes unaccustomed to sod food (cf. Heb 5.12).
Both the Apostolic Tradition and Tertuan record ths practce; t
s aso mentoned by Zeno of Verona, and set out n a sacramentary
attrbuted to Pope Leo I.348 Around 500, |ohn the Deacon, wrtng
344 Zeno, !nv. font. 7 (Tract. 1.12, Ps. 41), trans. author (CCL: 22.51).
345 Zeno, !nv. font. 4 (Tract. 1.55, Ad neoph.). See dscusson of the font as womb
beow, pp. 247-51.
346 Augustne, Tract. -p. 7o. 1.6, trans. author (PL 35, 1982).
347 Augustne, Serm. 228. In Serm. 376, Augustne speaks agan of the "Octave of
the Infants" and descrbes those comng forward as pueri, infantes, parvuli, and even
lactantes.
348 Trad. ap. 3, Tertuan, (or. 3; 3arc. 3.22 (n whch Tertuan ndcates that
ths rte was aso practced by foowers of Marcon); Zeno, !nv. font. 3; and the Sac.
6eron., trans. '$L, 206-8. See aso Barnabas, -p. 6.8-17. Athough not recorded n
Greek or Syrac baptsma texts, mk and honey s dscussed at ength by Cement of
Aexandra, Paed. 1.6. The baptsma (or eucharstc) background of ths dscusson s
mped n Cements comment that mk has a natura amnty for water, |ust ke the
sprtua washng has for the sprtua food.
11
from Rome to the arstocratc Senarus, dscusses mk and honeys
sgncance:
You ask why mk and honey are paced n a most sacred cup and ohered
wth the sacrce at the Pascha Sabbath . . . Ths knd of sacrament, then,
s ohered to the newy-baptzed so that they may reaze that no others
but they, who partake of the Body and Bood of the Lord, sha receve
the and of promse; and as they start upon the |ourney thther, they are
nourshed ke tte chdren wth mk and honey . . . so that they who n
ther rst brth were nourshed wth the mk of corrupton and rst shed
tears of btterness, n ther second brth may taste the sweetness of mk
and honey n the bowes of the church.349
On the bass of ths documentary evdence, t seems reasonabe to concude
that a sma nude chd recevng baptsm represents the symboc
transformaton from od to young, dead to reborn, and embarkng on
a new fe rather than the baptsm of an actua chd. Ths conographc
motf s used n the eary depctons of Chrsts baptsm as we. By
the md-fth century-a date at whch nfant baptsm was becomng
the norm-Chrst s shown as an adut at hs baptsm, n accordance
wth the scrptura accounts.
4.3.2. Administrators
Every baptsma mage shows at east two persons: a recpent and
an admnstrator. The baptzer, bearded and often much arger than
the recpent, sometmes ceary depcts |ohn the Baptst. In other
nstances, however, hs dentty s debatabe. The ambguty may have
been ntentona, aowng the mage smutaneousy to ustrate both
|ohns baptsm of |esus and the baptsm of any catechumen.350 The
rst s the mode for the second. Because canddates are sacramentay
|oned to Chrst n the baptsm, they mystcay repcate that orgna
event. Accordngy, the admnstrant pays the roe of |ohn the Baptst
n the rte and probaby shoud be dented wth the oca bshop.
Even though some of the odest Chrstan documents (e.g., |ustn
Martyrs Apology or the 'idache) say nothng about who may admnster
349 |ohn the Deacon, -p. Sen. 12., text Andr Wmart, Analecta reginensia* e#traits
des manuscrits latins de la reine (hristine conserves au 6atican, Studi e Testi 59 (Vatcan
Cty: Bboteca apostoca Vatcana, 1933), 157-63; trans., '$L, 208-12.
350 See dscusson above, Chap. 1, pp. 29-30.
150 chapter four
baptsm, the bshops key roe n assurng the rtes vadty emerged
fary eary. Ignatus of Antoch was the rst to cam that baptsm
wthout the bshop, or the bshops approved representatve, s unawfu.
351 Accordng to Tertuan, the rues that have to be observed n
regard to who can gve and receve baptsm ncude the asserton that
on account of the churchs dgnty, "the hgh prest (who s the bshop)
hods the rst rght, then presbyters and deacons. Yet none may
do so wthout epscopa authorzaton, on account of the honor of
the church, for when ths s protected, peace s protected." However,
he adds that n emergences even aypersons have the rght (and obgaton)
to perform baptsms.352
Cypran kewse understands the bshop as the proper admnstrant
of baptsm, wth presbyters (or even deacons) aowed to baptze those
n danger of dyng. He omts any menton of a ay person baptzng n
emergences, however.353 Cypran aso expcty reserves the mposton
12
of hands upon the newy baptzed to the bshop, and presumes
that persons who were baptzed n an emergency by a prest or deacon,
and who subsequenty recovered, woud seek out the bshop for the
necessary sacramenta competon. If they ded, they coud seek Chrst
hmsef to suppy heaveny equvaent of the epscopa suppement,
|ust as he breathed on the apostes after hs own resurrecton (|ohn
20.22).354 The thrd century church order, the 'idascalia Apostolorum
aso speces the bshop as the essenta baptsm admnstrator and
urged congregants to honor ther bshops as the ones who reeased
them from ther sns through the sacrament.355
The Apostolic Tradition, kewse reserves certan actons to the
bshop aone, ncudng pre-baptsma exorcsms, the bessng of the
os used durng the rte, the post-baptsma mposton of hands,
the post-baptsma anontng on the neophytes head, and the postbaptsma
kss and greetng ("The Lord be wth you"). It aso assgns
specc ceremona functons to presbyters and deacons. For exampe,
351 Ignatus, Smyrn. 8.2.
352 Tertuan, $apt. 17.1, trans. author (CCL 1: 291.1-5). See aso, Tertuan, Apol. 39.
353 Cypran, -p. 18.1.2 and 2.2, addressed to presbyters and deacons.
354 Ths suppement s not n Cypran but rather descrbed by the anonymous
author of Rebapt., who rases the probem n Chap. 4, and resoves t n Chap. 10, "f,
by necessty of the case, |water baptsm| shoud be admnstered by an nferor cerc,
et us wat for the resut, that t may ether be supped by |the bshop| or reserved to
be supped by the Lord."
355 'id. apos. 9.
the prest and deacon enter the font wth the canddate and perform
the pre-baptsma anontng, actua mmerson, and post-baptsma
anontng wth the o of exorcsm.356
Other ancent sources are ess detaed and, arguaby, mpy a ess
herarcha structure. More than a century after Tertuan, |erome aso
argued that presbyters and deacons mght baptze wth the bshops
authorzaton and that even aypersons were permtted to baptze n
emergences.357 The Apostolic (onstitutions seems to aow presbyters
to take the pace of the bshop on occason.358 |ohn Chrysostom, by
contrast, cams that a great number of resdents of a certan pace
had faen under the "wrath of God" because a young deacon baptzed
them when the bshop was absent and presbyters were nattentve.359
But even makng aowances for necessty, as the Chrstan popuaton
grew arger and more dhuse, the excusve rght of the bshop to
perform the post-baptsma rtes of "conrmaton" or the mposton
of hands became more ceary dened, partcuary n the West.360 For
these reasons, the gesture depcted n the conography-the mposton
of hands-ndcates that the ndvdua depcted shoud be dented
as ether |ohn the Baptst or the oca bshop. The ony possbe excepton
s the unknown gure whose hand rests on the head of the neophyte
on the Vatcan gass fragment (g. 3.9).361 On the Aquea grave
marker, the two gures presdng at the baptsm of a young woman are
probaby meant to be some combnaton of |ohn the Baptst, a santy
bshop, or even Chrst but not a presbyter or deacon (g. 2.12).362
4.3.3. Presbyters and 'eacons
Athough the art generay depcts ony two persons n the baptsma
13
scene, some of the mages show a thrd person, as n the case
of the Aquea stone. And, as noted above, terary sources descrbe
356 Trad. ap. 21.
357 |erome, Lucif. 9 (PL 23,173).
358 Compare, for exampe, Ap. const. 3.16 wth 7. 22. The second text addresses
ether a bshop or presbyter as the admnstrator of baptsm.
359 |ohn Chrysostom, 2om. 46 (PG 60.325). The word phronti.en, transates as
"payng attenton" mght aso be transated as "concerned" mpyng that the presbyters
were |ust not partcuary worred about the deacons actons.
360 See Maxwe |ohnson, Maxwe, The Rites of (hristian !nitiation9 Their -volution
and !nterpretation (Coegeve: Lturgca Press, 1989), 203-7.
152 chapter four
a compex rte nvovng severa omcas, ncudng presbyters and
deacons. The Apostolic Tradition n partcuar dened the varous roes
of deacons, presbyters, and bshop, gvng the most responsbtes
to the presbyter and a sort of supportve roe to the deacons, who went
down nto the font wth the canddates. Both Tertuan and Cypran
regarded presbyters and deacons as authorzed to baptze n emergences,
but they dd not say whether a three orders of cergy were normay
present n the rtua or what ther respectve functons mght be.
In the fourth century, however, Ambrose refers to the deacon as
"the Levte who wats n the font aong wth a prest" and adds that
more than one of these "Levtes" wated n the font for the canddates
as they entered.363 Zeno of Verona mentons a bath attendant (balneator)
who provded what was necessary to anont, dry oh, and present
the neophytes wth a "goden denarus seaed wth a trpe emgy."364
Theodore of Mopsuesta descrbes the deacons as the "mnsters" who
were "put n charge of ths awesome turgy," comparng them to the
"mnsterng sprts" n Heb 1.14 and dscusses ther partcuar garb:
They wear vestments that are n keepng wth ther true roe, for ther
garments gve them a more mpressve appearance than they possess on
ther own account . . . On ther eft shouders they drape a stoe |orarium|,
whch hangs down equay on ether, that s to say, n front and behnd.
It sgnes that the mnstry they perform s not one of savery but of
berty, for the reates that they serve gude a who are worthy of Gods
great househod, the church, to freedom.365
From these documents one gets a pcture of a sma group of assstants
servng the admnstrators and canddates n the rtua. However,
except for the Samagher casket mage (gs. 3.4), the conography typcay
shows ony one addtona non-angec mae gure (f any at a)
wth the canddate and baptzer. He hods a scro and wears nothng
more dstnctve than the Roman tunc and pallium (see gs. 2.9,
2.11)366 Thus t seems key that the gure n the conography s meant
363 Ambrose, Sacr. 1.9 and 2.16. See text quoted above, Chap. 3, p. 115.
364 Zeno, !nv. font. 6 (Tract. 1.23, Ps. XLI), trans. author (CCL: 22.70). |eanes nterprets
ths character as the bshop, however, not a prest or deacon, The 'ay 2as (ome,
179.
365 Theodore of Mopsuesta, $apt. hom. 4.21-23, trans. Yarnod, A1e !nspiring
Rites, 214-15.
366 See dscusson of the thrd gure on the sarcophag, Chap. 2, pp. 75-6 and the
ange at baptsm, Chap. 3, pp. 115-17.
14
to be a Gospe wrter, recordng the story of |esus baptsm and not a
mnor cerc attendng the baptsm of a catechumen.
4.3.4. 'eaconesses
De Ross beeves that the gure whose hand rests on the young femae
neophyte on the Vatcan gass fragment beongs to a deaconess (g.
3.9).367 If the sde panes of the Samagher casket depct a woman and
a man presentng a chd for baptsm at the Lateran Baptstery and
conrmaton at another pgrmage church, women, as some schoars
argue, they mght have had some omca, ceremona functon.368 In
both those casket scenes, two women stand to the rght n roughy parae
poston, posture, and sze to two men who stand to the eft. These
groups of mae and femae "attendants" mght be sponsors, deacons,
or deaconesses. They aso mght smpy be attendants or companons
of the coupe n the center of the mage.
Ony two church orders expressy menton deaconesses n connecton
wth baptsm, both of them probaby Syran n orgn. Based on
these documents, hstorans have theorzed that deaconesses asssted
the prest or bshop wth the anontng of women n both eastern
and western tradtons.369 The 'idascalia Apostolorum (ca. 250) and
the Apostolic (onstitutions (ca. 475) are composte works. The oder
text may have been the foundaton for the rst sx books of the ater,
whch s a compaton of severa earer church order manuas. The
'idascalia Apostolorum counses aganst aowng women to baptze
or beng baptzed by a woman because to do ether woud be to
mper ones savaton.370 It dd, however, make provson for deaconesses
at the baptsm of women, most key for the sake of modesty or
decorum.
367 See dscusson above, Chap. 3, p. 108.
368 See dscusson of ths ob|ect and the varous nterpretatons, Chap. 3, pp. 95-8.
369 On the roe of women as deaconesses see |oseph Ysebaert, "The Deaconesses n
the Western Church of Late Antquty and Ther Orgn" -ulogia9 3elanges o&erts a
Anton. A.R. $astiaensen, ed. G.|.M. Bartenk et a. (The Hague: Abbata S. Petr, 1991),
421-36; Am Georges Martmort, 'eaconesses9 An 2istorical Study (San Francsco:
Ignatus Press, 1986); Een Chrstansen, "Women and Baptsm" ST 35 (1981), 1-8
(who argues that for the sake of ther modesty, women must have baptzed women n
the eary church); |.G. Daves, "Deacons, Deaconesses and the Mnor Orders n the
Patrstc Perod, 7-2 14 (1963), 1-15; and most recenty Caroyn Osek and Kevn
Madgan, )rdained :omen in the -arly (hurch9 A 'ocumentary 2istory (Batmore:
|ohns Hopkns Unversty Press, 2005).
370 'id. apos. 3.9.
154 chapter four
In many other matters the omce of a woman deaconess s requred.
In the rst pace, when women go down nto the water, those who go
down nto the water ought to be anonted by a deaconess wth the o
of anontng; and where there s no woman at hand, and especay no
deaconess, he who baptzes must of necessty anont her who s beng
baptzed. But where there s a woman, and especay a deaconess, t s
not ttng that women shoud be seen by men: but wth the mposton
of hands do thou anont the head ony . . . Let a woman deacon anont
the women. But et a man pronounce over them the nvocaton of the
dvne Names n the water.371
The ater document, partay based on the former as we as on the
'idache and the Apostolic Tradition, summarzes varous dutes of
15
deaconesses ncudng keepng the doors, carryng messages, carng
for the women of the church, and mantanng decency when women
are baptzed. As the documents author expans, mae admstrants had
no need to see the women unt the mposton of hands, when the
bshop woud anont ther foreheads wth consecrated o. Therefore,
t seems the pre-baptsma anontng was gven by a deacon to men,
and a deaconess to women. Ths document aso speces that whe
a presbyter cas out the name of the Trnty over the canddates and
baptzes them n the water, a deacon (for men) or a deaconess (for
women) shoud receve them (hypodechesthe), est the conferrng of
the "nvoabe sea" be unseemy.372
Some documentary evdence for women functonng as assstants
durng baptsm comes from the West as we. Accordng to the Spansh
coecton of canons from the councs of Carthage, the fourth
counc (ca. 397) nked the roes of deaconess and catechst:
Wdows and dedcated women |sanctimoniales| who are chosen for the
admnstraton of baptsm of women shoud be nstructed n ther omces
so that they mght pany and reasonaby nstruct gnorant and rustc
371 'id apos. 16, trans. Rchard H. Connoy, 'idascalia Apostolorum (Oxford: Carendon
Press, 1929), 146-7. See aso the Ap. const. 3.2.15-16. The chapter goes on to
say that the deaconess shoud subsequenty nstruct the women on how to keep the
sea of baptsm unbroken and for ths reason the mnstry of women deaconesses s
cruca, ctng the exampes of Mary Magdaene and Mary the mother of |oses who
mnstered to |esus.
372 Ap. const. 3.16. Presumaby the text s here referrng to the fu-body post-baptsma
anontng. See aso 3.19, 8.28 on the dutes of the deaconess. The deaconess
was a consecrated vrgn or wdow (6.17) and had a form of ordnaton by mposton
of hands by the bshop (8.19). Note aso 1 Tm. 5.9; 1 Counc of Ncaea (325), (an.
19 and the Counc of Chacedon, (an. 15, whch do not menton any roe for the
deaconess n baptsm.
women who are about to be baptzed, as to how they shoud respond to
the nterrogatons at ther baptsm, and how they shoud ve after they
have been baptzed.373
Aowng women ths much authorty may have been unusua, however.
The heresy-ghtng Epphanus of Saams (n Cyprus) denes that
the roe of deaconess n the baptsma rte was sacerdota n any sense.
He asserts that because deaconesses are not ordaned (epicherein) to
a presty omce (to hierateuein) they can nether baptze nor mpose
hands. Accordng to Epphanus, deaconesses are commssoned (epitassetai)
excusvey for the sake of protectng the dgnty (semnot;tos)
of women who durng the tme they are naked n the baptstery.374
In contrast to ths mted roe as baptsma assstants, some textua
data mpes that certan sects aowed women to admnster the
rte. Accordng to Tertuans Prescription against 2eretics, groups of
non-conformsts permtted women to teach, to perform exorcsms and
heangs, and (perhaps) to baptze: "The very women of these heretcs,
how mpudent! They dare to teach, to dspute, to perform exorcsms,
to undertake cures-and perhaps even to mmerse |tingere|."375 And
athough Tertuan aows ay baptsm n emergences, he categorcay
forbds ay women the rght and attacks the "spurous" Acts of Paul
and Thecla that mght |ustfy t:
Let t sumce to use ths rght n crcumstances of necessty, whenever
16
ether pace, tme or persona condton compe t; for then the persstence
of the rescuer s acceptabe, because the crcumstances of the one
n per are urgent . . . But the mpudence of that woman who undertook
to teach w by no means aso approprate to tsef the rght of baptzng
|tinguendi|-uness perhaps some new serpent appears, ke the
orgna one, so as that one aboshed baptsm, some other shoud of her
own authorty confer t. But f certan Acts of Pau, whch are wrtten
fasey, cam the exampe of Theca for aowng women to teach and
to baptze . . . How coud t seem even somewhat true that he woud gve
women the power of teachng or baptzng when he resoutey dd not
permt women to earn? Let them be sent, he sad, and take care of
ther husbands at home.376
373 Trans., author. See Chares Muner, ed., (oncilia Africae A. <=>?A. >@> (CCSL
149, 345). On the accuracy of ths canon (date and pace) see Muners ntroducton
to the voume, xx-xx.
374 Epphanus, Pan. 79.3. Greek text n GCS, Epphanus 3, ed. K. Ho (Lepzg,
1933), 477-8.
375 Tertuan, Praescr. 41.2; trans., author (CCL 1:221.4-7).
376 Tertuan, $apt. 17.3-5, trans. author (CCL 1: 291-2.15-30).
156 chapter four
Smary n one of Cyprans etter to Frman (on the matter of
Novatans baptsm), the bshop of Carthage descrbes a worst case
scenaro of schsmatc baptsm-a baptsm by a woman (n ths case a
"certan woman" n the area of Cappadoca or Pontus who was probaby
an adherent of Montansm):
And that woman . . . was attemptng many thngs for the decepton of the
fathfu, among other thngs wth an nvocaton not consdered nvad
she pretended to sanctfy the bread and to ceebrate the Eucharst . . . She
aso baptzed many, usurpng the accustomed and awfu words of nterrogaton
that nothng mght seem to dher from the eccesastca rue.377
Whatever the practces of sectaran groups, the order of deaconesses
n more manstream churches seems to have graduay ded out n the
West. It was speccay forbdden by the Counc of Orange, presded
over by Hary of Ares n 441.378 In any case, ths casket, fabrcated n
the md-fth century, probaby dd not depct deaconesses functonng
n a baptsma or conrmaton rtua. A chd (whether gr or boy)
woud have had no need for such an attendant. The women n ths
scene mght have been sponsors or wtnesses, but more key smpy
to represent attendants of the coupe who commssoned ths uxury
ob|ect.
4.3.5. Sponsors and :itnesses
As dscussed above, n some scenes a thrd gure observes |esus baptsm
(cf. gs. 2.9, 2.11). Schoars have varousy dented ths thrd person
as the bshop, deacon, God, gospe-wrter, or sponsor, but because
he sometmes hods a scro, t seems most key that he represents the
Gospe wrter recordng the event.379 The Samagher casket shows two
groups of ndvduas attendng what mght be the baptsm of a young
chd. That any of these gures was ntended to be a baptsma sponsor
377 Cypran, -p. 75.10.5, trans. author (CCL 3C: 592.238-45). In paragraph 11, Frman
contnues that ths s a case of the "most wcked demon baptzng through a
woman." The woman hersef s not dented nor assocated wth a partcuar heresy.
A that we are tod s that she turned up n Cappadoca about twenty-two years earer
n a "state of ecstasy" and announced hersef as a prophet (para. 10.1-2). From ths
evdence we may presume that she was an adherent of the Montanst sect. On women
17
cercs n Montansm see Chrstne Trevett, 3ontanism9 Aender, Authority, and the
0e1 Prophecy (Cambrdge: Cambrdge Unversty Press, 1996), 185-97.
378 Counc of Orange, can. 26. See Caro de Cercq, ed. (oncilia Aallicae A. <B=?A.
>CD, CCSL 148 (1963), 85-6.
379 See argument above, pp. 75-6.
or wtness seems possbe. The Aquea grave marker (g. 2.12) and
the Vatcan gass fragment (g. 3.9) mght depct santy sponsors.380
Textua evdence demonstrates that the sponsors roe was especay
mportant n baptsm from at east Tertuans tme, so ths possbty
cannot be entrey dscredted.381 Athough the mystagogos who presented
the neophytes n the mystery cuts performed an anaogous roe
to the baptsma sponsor, the Chrstan omce seems more key an
adaptaton of Roman ega procedure. Baptsm had a certan contractua
quaty because a sponsor was requred to attest to the canddates
pety, sncerty and character, and aso be responsbe f somethng
went wrong. Tertuan argues that the roes gravty s one reason why
chdren shoud not be baptzed too young.382 Smary, the Apostolic
Tradition speces that sponsors must "bear wtness" to the tness and
"abty to hear" (the word of God) of those who have come forward
for examnaton and baptsm. Saves coud ony appy for baptsm wth
the masters permsson and character reference.383
Egeras account of her Hoy Land pgrmage (c. 390) ncudes a
summary of the sponsors roe and the character trats that he or she
needed to amrm:
In ths manner the canddates are brought forward one by one, f they
are men they come wth ther fathers, and f women, wth ther mothers.
Indvduay, the bshop questons ther companons about them askng:
"Is ths person eadng a good fe? Does he or she respect hs or
her parents? Is ths person a drunkard or a boaster?" He asks about a
the serous human vces . . . If someone s a traveer, uness that person
has a wtness who w gve a testmona, t s not easy to advance to
baptsm.384
Once nfant baptsm became the common practce, the sponsors roe
was a the more sgncant. Ths person spoke for the chd because
she coud not speak for hersef. Of course, a sponsor coud not know
what the chd actuay beeved, or whether she or he woud grow up
380 See dscussons of these ob|ects above, Chap. 2, pp. 71-5 and Chap. 3, pp. 106-8.
381 See dscusson of the dherent theores above, Chap. 2. pp. 75-6.
382 Tertuan, $apt. 18.4, trans., author (CCL 1: 293.21-26). See dscusson above,
pp. 144-7 (on the queston of nfant baptsm).
383 Trad. ap. 16.1-4.
384 Egera, !tin. 45, trans. author. Latn text n Lous Duchesne (hristian :orship9
!ts )rigin and -volution 5th ed., trans. M.L. McCure (London: SPCK, 1919) appendx
2 518-19. Aso see |ohn Wknson, -gerias Travels to the 2oly Land (Warmnster:
Ares and Phps, 1981), 143-44.
158 chapter four
to be good or wcked. By way of an answer to ths probem, Augustne
expans that the sacrament gave the gft of fath and rghteousness,
and was not "earned" by confesson of beef or by good works. By
ths he fts the burden from parents or sponsors of chdren comng
for baptsm, who dared to promse somethng about the chdrens
future behavor or condenty amrmed the chds ntenton to ve a
18
Chrstan fe.385
4.4. 0a%edness and (lothing
Baptsm magery consstenty depcts the (young) recpent as nude
and, wth rare exceptons (e.g., femae ntates gs. 2.12, 3.10), as
mae. As dscussed above, the recpents gender may have to do wth
the mages, ustratng the baptsm of |esus. The reason for the nudty
may reect contemporary baptsma practce.
Nudty at baptsm s extensvey demonstrated n terature. Many
of the documents not ony descrbe the canddates beng strpped of
ther cothng but aso gve practca as we as symboc reasons for t.386
Cyr of |erusaem both descrbes ths part of the rte and expans ts
meanng:
Upon enterng you took oh your cothng, and ths symbozed your
strppng oh of "the od nature wth ts practces |Co. 3.9|" Strpped
naked, n ths too you were mtatng Chrst naked on the cross, who n
hs darkness, "dsarmed the prncpates and powers" |Eph 6.12| and on
the wood of the cross pubcy trumphed over them. Snce hoste powers
urked n your mbs, you can no onger wear your former cothng;
I do not of course refer to vsbe appare but to "your od nature whch
s corrupt through decetfu usts |Eph 4.22|." I pray that the sou whch
has once thrown oh that od nature may never resume t, but rather
speak the words of Chrsts brde n the Song of Songs: "I had put oh
my garment; how coud I put t on? |Song 5.3|" Ths was a remarkabe
occason, for you stood n the sght of a and you were not ashamed.
You truy mrrored our rst-created parent, Adam, who stood naked n
Paradse and was not ashamed.387
385 Augustne. -p. 98.7, 10.
386 See for exampe, Trad. ap. 21.3, 5, 11; Zeno of Verona, !nv. font. 6 (Tract. 1.23);
|ohn the Deacon, -p. Sen. 6; Cyr of |erusaem, 3yst. 2.2; Theodore of Mopsuesta,
$apt. hom. 3.8; |ohn Chrysostom (atech. illum. 2.24; and -p. !nnocent; (an. 2ippolytus
19; and Ps. Donysus, -cc. hier. 2.2.7.
387 Cyr of |erusaem, 3yst. 2.2. trans. Leo McCauey, S.|. and Anthony Stephenson,
The :or%s of St. (yril of 7erusalem, vo. 2 (Washngton, DC: Cathoc Unversty
Press, 1970), 161-2.
In ths text, baptsma nudty manfests at east two key aspects of
the rte n the fourth century-sharng n the passon of Chrst and
renewng the pre-apsaran condton of Adam. Theodore of Mopsuesta
kewse refers to Adams orgna state as beng "naked and
not ashamed." He ony needed a coverng because he dsobeyed Gods
commandment. Therefore, Theodore nssts, "you must rst take oh
your cothes. For they are proof of mortaty, convncng evdence of
the humatng sentence whch made man need cothes."388
4.4.1. 0udity and 3odesty* (hristians and the Public $aths
Nudty at baptsm has sometmes been dscounted on the grounds
that eary Chrstans practced body modesty.389 However, atttudes
toward pubc nudty vared somewhat n the ancent word for both
pagans and Chrstans. Romans were more reserved than Heenstc
Greeks, but, n ther art (f not n day fe), they shared the conventon
that athetc nudty (at east) was a sgn of cvzaton.390 Furthermore,
nudty n pubc was a socay charged mark of cass and
status. The weathy upper casses regarded nudty n front of an nferor
(a servant or save) as no more shamng than nudty n front of
19
a househod pet. By contrast, nakedness forced upon members of the
serve casses, crmnas, or prsoners of war was a part of ther genera
humaton. Ths dstncton was partcuary dspayed n the pubc
baths. Accordng to Peter Brown: "Ths was not a socety bound
together by the mpct democracy of sexua shame . . . The essenta
roe of the pubc baths as the |onng pont of cvc fe ensured
that nudty among ones peers and n front of ones nferors was a
day experence . . . As for women, the soca shame of exposure to the
wrong person, rather than the fact of exposure tsef, was the prncpa
anxety."391 Because baptsm was a knd of bath, and ncuded
fu body mmerson or (at east) drenchng, t adopted certan aspects
388 Theodore of Mopsuesta, $apt. hom. 3.8, trans. Yarnod, A1e !nspiring Rites,
184-5.
389 See, for exampe, Laure Guy, "Naked Baptsm n the Eary Church: The Rhetorc
and the Reaty," 7R2 27 (2003), 133-42.
390 See Larssa Bonfante, "Nudty as Costume n Cassca Art," A7A 93 (1989), 543-70;
Chrstopher Haeth, The Roman 0ude (Oxford: Oxford Unversty Press, 2005).
391 Peter Brown, "Late Antquty: The Weborn Few" n A 2istory of Private Life9
+rom Pagan Rome to $y.antium, eds. P. Ars and G. Duby (Cambrdge, MA: Harvard
Unversty Press, 1987), 245-6.
160 chapter four
of ordnary bathng, especay dsrobng. In that regard, however, t
aso overturned certan conventons and cass perceptons.
Hstorans and archaeoogsts have extensvey studed Roman bathng
habts, n arge part because of the exceent preservaton of so
many remans of the pubc structures that housed them. The baths
n any cty were cutura nsttutons as we as paaces of persona
hygene (some ncuded ecture has).392 Pubc baths were part of the
Roman soca fe for both maes and femaes. Ony the weathy few
had prvate baths wthn ther homes; most Romans went reguary
to the pubc baths, sometmes payng a modest fee (athough some
were free) for a spa-ke experence that coud ncude physca exercse,
steamng, soakng, mosturzng, and massage.393 In genera, these
actvtes were done n the nude, athough a few ancent documents
menton bathng robes or some mnma coverng. However, most
Roman baths were but to segregate the sexes and so had a womens
sde separate from a mens sde, or aternatvey ohered separate tmes
of the day for each sex. Some mxed bathng s attested n the sources,
athough ts extent s the sub|ect of schoary debate.394
Despte (or perhaps because of) the genera acceptance of some
degree of pubc nudty n Roman cuture, Chrstan authortes sometmes
prohbted gong to the pubc baths, beevng that n these
stuatons members of ther ock mght be exposed to doatry, mmodesty,
decadent behavor, or mora corrupton and vce. The Apostolic
(onstitutions, a ate fourth-century church order, forbds mxed sex
bathng, as we as women bathng wth hermaphrodtes, and urges
bathng that s ordery, modest, moderate, nfrequent, wthout occason,
and not n the mdde of the day.395 |ohn Chrysostom scoded hs
congregaton for companng when the baths were cosed n Antoch
as a punshment for a cty-wde rot aganst taxes (387), and camed
that the emperors punshment actuay brought the Chrstans certan
advantages because cosng the baths was hard ony on those who ed
20
392 A good source of nformaton aong wth pans, ustratons etc. s Fkret Yeg,
$aths and $athing in (lassical Antiquity (New York: Archtectura Hstory Foundaton,
1992).
393 For exampe, see Lbanus, )r. 2.242.
394 See Garrett Fagan, $athing in Public in the Roman :orld (Ann Arbor: Unversty
of Mchgan Press, 2002), 24-9; aso see Roy Bowen Ward, "Women n Roman
Baths," 2TR 85.2 (1992), 125-47.
395 (onst. Ap. 1.3.9 (whch recommends that the best tme s ate afternoon).
a decadent fe.396 The ack of temptatons woud ead others back (even
f unwngy) to the ove of wsdom.397 Augustne kewse assocated
the baths wth such other unheathy peasures as frequentng taverns
and theatres.398
But most church authortes were reay ony concerned about
mxed bathng. Cement of Aexandra denounced moray ax women
for aowng men other than ther husbands to see them naked n
ther baths.399 Cypran warned women (especay dedcated vrgns)
aganst the baths, deemng them promscuous estabshments where
they woud see naked men and be seen naked by men. Rather than
ceansng the body for heathfu purpose, he camed that such a washng
deed; for rather than purfyng, t woud suy. In these paces, he
sad, modesty was shed aong wth cothng.400 The Apostolic (onstitutions
smary proscrbed mxed bathng for women, but aso urged
that they make ther vsts to the a-women baths as nfrequent as
possbe.401
Some authortes warned aganst nudty n genera. Ambrose, wrtng
on the dutes of the cergy, urges modesty and remnded hs audence
that the ancent Romans avoded bathng nude wth ther grown
chdren. He proposes that hs foowers wear cothng n the baths so
that ther bodes woud be at east partay covered.402 |erome counses
Laeta aganst any nakedness, even n prvate:
I know that some peope have ad down the rue that a Chrstan vrgn
shoud not bathe aong wth eunuchs or wth marred women, nasmuch
as eunuchs are st men at heart and women bg wth chd are a revotng
sght. For mysef, I dsapprove atogether of baths n the case of a
fu-grown vrgn. She ought to bush at hersef and be unabe to ook at
her own nakedness.403
396 These rots had actuay begun n the baths, and ther cosng was deemed to
be a speca humaton and hardshp on the peope (aong wth the cosng of the
orchestra and the hppodrome).
397 |ohn Chrysostom, Stat., 17.9; 19.13. 464.
398 Augustne, (atech. 16.25, where he warns hs hearers about the "ascvousness
of the baths."
399 Cement of Aexandra, Paed. 3.5; but see Paed. 3.9-10, where he gves nstructons
on how to use the baths propery and not for peasure or ndugence, but nstead
for heath and externa ceansng.
400 Cypran, 2ab. 6irg. 19.
401 Ap. const. 1.3.9.
402 Ambrose, )&. 1.18. 79.
403 |erome, -p. 107.11, trans. F.A. Wrght, Select Letters of St. 7erome, 362-3 (LCL
162 chapter four
Despte the dsapprova of certan Chrstan eaders, baths were an
mportant part of everyday Roman cvc fe. Accordng to Irenaeus,
|ohn (the dscpe) vsted the baths at Ephesus.404 Tertuan hmsef
21
attended the baths and beeved them heathfu.405 Augustne mentons
gong to the bath after hs mothers death seekng comfort n hs gref.406
Cyr of |erusaem ponts out that even |esus vsted the baths. In a sermon
on the heang of the paraytc (at a pubc bath-|ohn 5.2) Cyr
reveas hs cvc prde n |erusaems bath structures sayng: "When, as
now, he ||esus| vsts the pubc baths, t s not out of nterest n the
archtecture, but to hea the sck."407
Gven ts centra mportance n the day ves of most eary Chrstans
(whether or not they obeyed ther eaders on the matter), Roman
bathng practces (nude and usuay sexuay segregated) most key
shaped certan practca aspects of the baptsma rte as we as ent
those practces a certan symboc meanng.
4.4.2. The Practice of Nude Baptism
Unke the practce of mmerson wtnessed n the wrtten sources,
but contradcted by both conography and archaeoogy, nudty at baptsm
s both attested n the documents and represented n art.408 The
mage of a sma mae nude n eary Chrstan art changes to that of
a fuy adut Chrst at hs baptsm n both the Ravenna mosacs (gs.
3.10-11). Depctng |esus as nude contnues n eastern cons nto the
modern era.409
404 Irenaeus, 2aer. 3.3.4.
405 Tertuan, Apol. 42.
406 Augustne, (onf. 9.32 (despte hs vews on the baths as stated above, fn. #).
407 Cyr of |erusaem, 2om. para. 1 (PG 33, 1131-4), trans. by Anthony Stephenson,
:or%s of St. (yril of 7erusalem, vo. 1 (Washngton, DC: Cathoc Unversty Press,
1969), 209-22. Accordng to Cyr, the paraytc was heaed at a pubc bath. In fact,
|ohn 5.2 descrbes a poo that had ve portcoes and that coud have hed a "muttude
of nvads."
408 Ths asserton has ts crtcs. At east one author has argued that the Greek and
Latn terms for "nude" (gymnos and nudus) need not have mped stark nakedness,
but rather the wearng of mnma undergarments or even a short tunc. See Guy,
"Naked Baptsm n the Eary Church."
409 Accordng to Leond Ouspensky, the nudty of |esus n these cons "emphaszes
the kenoss of Hs Dvnty" and "shows the purpose of hs kenoss for, by strppng
Hs body, He thereby cothes the nakedness of Adam, and wth hm that of the whoe
of manknd, n the garment of gory and ncorruptbty." See Leond Ouspensky
and Vadmr Lossky, The 3eaning of !cons (Crestwood, NY: St. Vadmrs Semnary
Press, 1989), 164-5.
Among the earest documentary wtnesses to baptsma nudty s
the Acts of "anthippe and Poly#ena (c. 250), whch descrbes Paus
baptsm of Probus: "Pau reped, See, my son, the water s ready for
the ceansng of those that come to Chrst. Straghtway then, eagery
strppng oh hs cothes, Pau hodng hs hand, he eaped nto the
water . . . "410 Lkewse, n the Acts of Paul and Thecla, Theca, wearng
ony a grde as she entered the arena, threw hersef n a vat of water
ed wth seas n an act of sef-baptsm. Accordng to ths account,
after the seas ded from a ghtenng ash and oated to the surface,
a coud of re appeared to hde Thecas nakedness.411
The Apostolic Tradition speces that canddates dsrobe, and women
speccay shoud oosen ther har and ay asde any |ewery (god
ornaments), est they enter the font wth any aen ob|ects on ther
bodes.412 Athough undong a compcated hardo or removng har
22
ornaments symbozed re|ecton of femnne adornment, vanty, and
artce, t s more key that ths was merey a smpe way to ensure
that nothng got between the body and the water.413 Ths concern s
reected n reguatons for |ewsh purcatory baths (mi%vaoth), whch
prohbt wearng anythng (even a harpn) nto the bath. Accordng
to the rabbs, for the water to truy ceanse, t was necessary that t
touch a parts of the body. There shoud be no separaton (hasisah)
between the water and the recpent: "These nterpose: strps of woo
or ax; and the rbbons on the heads of grs . . . the matted har over
the heart and the har of the beard and of the secret parts of a woman;
410 Acts of "anthippe and Poly#ena 21, see M.R. |ames, Apoc. Anec. 1.43-85; trans.,
'$L, 21-2.
411 Acts of Paul, 34.
412 Trad. ap. 21.3, 5, 11.
413 Margaret Mes, (arnal ,no1ing9 +emale 0a%edness and Religious 3eaning
in the (hristian :est (Boston: Beacon Press, 1989), 48-52 anayzes baptsm n the
fourth century and ctes ths passage n the Trad. ap. and argues that because oosened
har mght symboze wantonness, nsubordnaton, and sexua avaabty, that
the oosenng on har before baptsm mght represent a womans pentence for the
sn of Eve: "Was the requrement that womens har be et down durng Chrstan
baptsm a remnder, at the very moment of ther ntaton nto the Chrstan communty
that a women partcpate n Eves perenna gut for the seducton of Adam
and the human race? (50)" Ths expanaton fas to note that the baptsma rte actuay
reverses the ehects of the Fa (see dscusson on ths pont beow, pp. 167-8).
On the demonc assocatons of har ornaments or compex har styes see Raphae
|ehuda Zw Werbowsky, "On the Baptsma Rte accordng to St. Hppoytus," StPatr
2 (1957), 93-105.
164 chapter four
the rheum outsde the eye, the dred pus outsde a wound and the
paster thereon . . ."414
Lterary and art hstorca evdence show that nude bathng was
a part of ntaton nto Greco-Roman mystery cuts as we. Arstophanes
(louds, comcay descrbes the nakedness of ntates at Eeuss.
415 Apueus, the centra character n Apueus 3etamorphoses (The
Aolden Ass), recounts hs rtua bath pror to hs ntaton nto the Iss
cut: "Then, because the occason demanded t, as the prest sad, he
escorted me to the baths nearby, surrounded by an escort of devotees.
When I had taken the customary bath (sueto lavacro traditum), he
began by askng the gods favor and then ceansed me wth purcatory
sprnkng (purissime circumrorans abluit)."416 A reef found at
Eeuss depcts the ntaton of a naked gure, consderaby smaer
than the goddess Demeter, who hods a shaow dsh (patera) over
hs head. A comparabe Roman stucco reef from the Va Farnesna
portrays a sma nude mae gure beng ntated n a Bacchc rte, and
a nude ntate nto the cut of Mthras s depcted n two fragments
from the grotto at Capua.417
4.4.3. Segregations of the Se#es
The wrtten sources ndcate that whe deaconesses attended women
and may have performed pre-baptsma anontngs for modestys sake,
mae cercs performed the baptsms and conrmatons of nude women
canddates.418 Ths s vsuay represented on the Aquea grave marker
(g. 2.12). The story of a tmd sxth-century monk n |erusaem who
414 3. 3iq1. 9. See aso b. Pesah. 107a: "Nothng must nterpose between esh and
the water."
23
415 Arstophanes, 0ub. 497. The character beng ntated s sprnked from head to
toe wth rtua our, probaby as a mockery of an actua rtua asperson wth water.
416 Apueus, 3etam. 11.23, trans. |. Arthur Hanson (LCL vo. 2), 338-9.
417 On nudty n mystery regons see |onathan Z. Smth, "Garments of Shame,"
2R 5 (1966), 217-38 wth bbography. The mages descrbed above may be seen n n
|ohannes Lepodt, "Darsteungen von Mysterentaufen," Angelos 1 (1925), 46-7 (Eeuss);
Irene Bragantn and Marette de Vos, eds. Le 'ecora.ione della 6illa Romana
delle +arnesina 2.1, of Museo nazaonae romano, Le ptture (Rome, De Luca 1982),
tav. 79; and Maarten Vermaseren, (orpus !nscriptionum et 3onumentorum Religionis
3ithriacae (The Hague: M. N|hoh, 1965), gs. 57 and 59.
418 As noted above, |ewsh proseyte mmerson separated the sexes and even
assgned a same-sex attendant to those undergong the rtua bath requred for converson..
3. 3iq1. 9 and Aerim 60 a 1.4 ceary requre the separaton of the sexes and
the assgnment of same-sex attendants. See aso b. Eebam. 47a-b and b. Pesah. 107a.
unsuccessfuy entreated the bshop to reease hm from hs responsbty
for baptzng a beautfu young woman audes to the potenta
probems wth the practce. The monasterys eader thought of sendng
for a deaconess, but changed hs mnd, because deaconesses were not
customary n that regon. The poor monk pancked and ed, decdng
to qut the monastery, when |ohn the Baptst appeared to hm, made
the sgn of the cross three tmes over hs gentas that aowed hm to
return to the monastery and compete the womans baptsm. Ths gft
of mpotence aowed the monk to contnue n ths omce for tweve
years wthout any "movement of the esh."419
Ths rases the genera queston of sexua mproprety and whether
canddates were sexuay segregated once nsde the baptstery. Severa
documents speccay refer to the matter, suggestng that mxed sex,
nude baptsm typcay was not practced. For exampe the Apostolic
(onstitutions bunty states that men shoud not see women, because of
the magnatons of the "bad ones."420 The Apostolic Tradition drects
that chdren be baptzed rst, after them men, and women ast.421
Athough some nterpreters have seen ths ast-pace poston of the
women as sgnfyng ther subordnaton or dengraton, the prmary
reason for ths procedure must have been to protect the modesty of
the canddates.422 At an earer stage of the ntaton process, Cyr of
|erusaem requres the catechumens to wat n sex-segregated groups:
Durng the actua exorcsm, whe watng for the others, et men be wth
men, and women wth women. For now I need Noes ark that I may have
Noe and hs son together, separate from hs wfe and hs sons wves.
For athough the ark was one and the door was cosed, yet decorum
was observed. So now, though the church doors are barred and you are
a nsde, et dstnctons be kept: men wth men, women wth women.
Let not the prncpe of savaton be made a pretext for sprtua run.
Keepng cose together s a good rue, provded that passon s kept at
a dstance.423
419 Ths story recounted by |ohn Moschus, Prat. Spir. 3, "Vta Corons" PG 87, 2855.
Ambrose made a Latn transaton of t (PL 74, 124). The story s cted n Smth, "Garments
of Shame," 222, n. 21, and n Henr Lecercq, "Nudt baptsmae," 1805. See
aso Norman H. Baynes, "The Pratum Sprtuae," )(P 13 (1937), 404-14.
420 See dscusson above, pp. 153-4.
421 Trad. ap. 21.5.
422 Trad. ap. 21.5. See M. Mes, (arnal ,no1ing, 48; Mes posts that ths orderng
symbozed womens assocaton to the sn of Eve.
423 Cyr of |erusaem, Procat. 14, trans. Anthony A. Stephenson, Saint (yril of 7erusalem,
24
vo. 1, 80.
166 chapter four
Such concern for preservng purty n pre-baptsma rtes ndcates that
somethng smar woud have been n pace for the actua mmerson
n the font. In fact, a need to protect prvacy and modesty was probaby
a ma|or reason for the budng of separate baptsma chambers.
These rooms may have been equpped, as we, wth curtaned cubces
for dsrobng and watng.424 The mage on the Samagher casket shows
draperes that coud curtan oh the font (f that s what t s), perhaps
for modestys sake, and men on one sde wth women on the other.
However, that so few specc nstructons concernng the mantenance
of prvacy or proprety exst perhaps means that t was taken
for granted that the sexes woud not be mxed n the baptstery.
Nevertheess, both Cyr of |erusaem and Theodore of Mopsuesta
argued that nudty n baptsm sgned the return of the recpents to
the nnocence of Adam and Eve before the Fa and that beng naked
together n the baptstery symbozed the orgna man and women n
Paradse-naked and unashamed.425
4.4.4. 0a%edness as Symbolic
Baptsma nudty has at east ve mportant symboc functons. Frst,
nakedness sgnes the strppng oh of an od dentty and habts. Ths
strppng of cothng s a graphc way, symbocay, to "de" as an od
sef so that a new one can be reborn. Augustne, usng Paune anguage
(Co 3.9-14), exhorted the canddates to strp oh the od nature (the
od drty cothes) and be cothed wth the new.426 Assocated wth the
fe transton symbozed n the remova of cothes s a dsassocaton
of onesef from wordy possessons n genera. Moreover, cothes are a
genera symbo for persona vanty, somethng perhaps aso mped n
the Apostolic Tradition, whch requred women canddates to remove
ther |ewery and other tems of adornment.427
Second, nakedness suggests the nnocence of the newy-born and
the sacramentay reborn. The neophytes teray wear ther brthday
424 See dscusson beow, Chap. 5, p. 229.
425 See above, pp. 158-9, Cyr of |erusaem, 3yst cat. 2.2; Theodore of Mopsuesta,
$apt. hom. 3.8.
426 Augustne, Serm. 216.2, PL 38-39, 1077, "Exute vos veterem homnem, ut nduamn
novo." Theodore of Mopsuesta aso speces that the canddates shoud strp
pror to the rst anontng a over the body as a sgn that they w be "recevng the
cover of mmortaty" through ther baptsm, $apt. hom. 3.26.
427 Trad. ap. 21.5. See Smth, "Garments of Shame," 235-6.
suts, emergng from the mothers womb naked as they were at ther
rst brth.428
Thrd, as the above-mentoned passages from Cyr and Theodore
ndcate, nakedness at baptsm sgnes a return to the prmorda
nnocence of Adam and Eve and a castng oh of the corrupted, ustfu
od fe (Geness 3.7-10).429 Baptsm s thus equated wth a return to
Paradse-a pace wthout body shame, nor even conscousness of
nakedness, even n "mxed company." |ohn Chrysostom eaborated on
ths symbosm:
After the anontng, then, t remans to go nto the bath of sacred waters.
After strppng you of your robe, the prest hmsef eads you down nto
25
the owng waters. But why naked? He remnds you of your former
nakedness, when you were n Paradse and you were not ashamed. For
Hoy Wrt says: Adam and Eve were naked and were not ashamed, unt
they took up the garment of sn, a garment heavy wth abundant shame.
Do not then fee shame here, for the bath s much better than the garden
of Paradse. There can be no serpent here.430
Theodore of Mopsuestas nterpretaton of baptsma nudty s very
much ke |ohns-that even though Adam was created naked and
unashamed, once he became morta he needed a coverng. Cothng
s nothng more than evdence of the faen state of humanty. The act
of baptsm, however, begns to reverse the process, and ohers renewa
of nnocence and mmortaty, and so nakedness s the sgn and proof of
ths return.431 Ths same theme s eaborated by Cyr of |erusaem who
saw a return to Edenc nnocence n the rtua of strppng. The od
person was trapped n sn and headed for death. By dyng and beng
reborn, sn s fted and eterna fe s restored.432
428 Ths connecton s expcty made by Ambrose, -#p. Ps. 61.32; and Theodore of
Mopsuesta, $apt. hom. 3.9-10.
429 See H. Lecercq, "Nudt baptsmae," and "Nu dans art chrten," 'A(L 12.2
(1936), 543-70, and 1782-1808.
430 |ohn Chrysostom, (atech. illum. 11.28-29, trans. P.W. Harkns, St. 7ohn (hrysostom,
$aptismal !nstructions (Westmnster, MD: Newman Press, 1963), 170. See aso
|ohn Chrysostoms 2om. Aen. 6 (PG 62, 342). See aso |ohn Chrysostom, (atech.
illum. 2.24, where he speaks of the canddates strppng oh ther garments pror to
the rst anontng, and -p. !nnocent 3, whch recounts an attack upon a church that
caused women to ee n terror from a baptstery whe they were st naked.
431 Theodore, $apt. hom. 3.8.
432 Cyr of |erusaem, 3yst. 2.2. See above, p. 158. On the symbo of nakedness
see aso Hugh Rey, (hristian !nitiation (Washngton, DC: Cathoc Unversty Press,
1974), 159-89.
168 chapter four
Fourth, ths paradsaca nnocence suggests not ony a ack of body
shame but aso the possbty of genderessness. For some Chrstan
gnostc exegetes, a restored "orgna" humanty made no dstncton
between mae and femae. A post-baptsma socety wthout such dstnctons
s rst auded to n Paus etter to the Gaatans (3.27-29):
"For as many of you as were baptzed nto Chrst have put on Chrst.
There s nether |ew nor Greek, there s nether save nor free, there
s nether mae nor femae; for you are a one n Chrst |esus" The
Aospel of Thomas smary mantans that there w be no mae/femae
dstncton n the new creaton.433
Fnay, nude baptsm aso sgnes the bodys vunerabty and,
accordngy, the font as a pace of safety. To be naked ordnary sgnes
a ack of protecton from externa and envronmenta dangers. The
waters of the font, however, oher a shed from those dangers. |ohn
the Deacon, wrtng to Senarus n the eary sxth century, reports that
the canddates are nstructed "to go n naked even down to ther feet
so that havng put asde the carna garments of mortaty they may
acknowedge that they make ther |ourney upon a road upon whch
nothng harsh and nothng harmfu can be found."434
4.4.5. ReFRobing in :hite Aarments
The symbosm of nakedness at baptsm must be consdered n reatonshp
to ts opposte symbo, .e., beng cothed. The whoe rte ncudes
26
the takng oh of cothng, beng naked for anontng and mmerson,
and re-robng n new, whte, garments. The symbosm of the whteness
of the robes may derve from descrptons of the worthy ones as
arrayed n whte nen vestments n Rev 3.4; 19.8 and 14. Tertuan
beeves that n the resurrecton, a esh w be whte-ke the transgured
body of Chrst.435
Zeno of Verona (ca. 350), n hs sxth nvtaton to the baptsma
font |uxtaposes these two states as he urges canddates to enter the
433 Aos.Thom Log. 23. See dscusson of the Gaatans text and the mpcatons for
genderessness n the new creaton n Wayne A. Meeks, "The Image of the Androgyne:
Some Uses of a Symbo n Earest Chrstanty," 2R 13 (1974), 165-208 (esp. 180f ).
For an exampe of a ack of shame even when pubcay nude as an ndcaton of
beng "dead to the word" see the story of Serapon n Paadus 2ist. Laus. 37, trans.
R.T. Meyer, Palladius9 The Lausiac 2istory ACW 34 (New York: Longmans, Green,
1965), 105-14.
434 |ohn the Deacon, -p. Sen., trans., '$L 208-12.
435 Tertuan, Res. 27.
vng water, tempered by the presence of both the Hoy Sprt and
re: "Aready the grded bath keeper awats you, ready to do the work
of anontng and dryng and furnsh the god denarus wth the trpe
emgy. Be happy then. For you w punge naked nto the font but soon
emerge thence, whte |candidati| and vested n a heaveny garment.
And the one who does not poute |ths robe| w enter the kngdom
of heaven."436
The recepton of new cothng s not ustrated n the eary conography
of baptsm, probaby because the magery focuses on the moments
of mmerson and the mposton of hands. The portraya of the recpent
as nude seems to have been paramount, generay overrung any
other representaton. The fth-century gass fragment depctng the
baptsm of a young woman, now n the Vatcan Lbrary, may be
the ony known ustraton of the robe worn by neophytes after
ther baptsm-n ths case probaby dented by the etters AL$A4ata5
whch probaby refers to the woman havng been cothed n a whte
robe (g. 3.9).437
Athough cothes ndcate modesty generay, n ths context garments
symbozed the restored purty of the sou and the body. As
noted above, Zeno promses that after pungng naked n the font and
beng dred oh, the neophytes woud emerge vested n a heaveny whte
garment that must reman "unsoed" for entrance nto the kngdom
of heaven.438 Theodore refers to the ab as "a dazzng garment of pure
whte."439 Ambrose descrbes anges ookng down upon the neophytes
approachng the atar and, seeng them n the natura human state, ony
a tte whe before soed by sn, they are now suddeny respendent.
The anges excam: "Who s ths, comng up from the desert cothed n
whte?" (cf. Song 8.5).440 Athough whte cothes are ke the garments
of the sants n Reveaton, they are aso the coor of presty vestments,
436 Zeno, !nv. font. 6 (Tract. 1.23), trans. author. (CCL: 22.70). Notce here that
Zeno transforms certan detas of an actua Roman bath (e.g., the payment of a fee
nto a symbo of fath n the Hoy Trnty).
438 Zeno, !nv. font. 6 (Tract. 1.23).
439 Theodore of Mopsuesta, $apt. hom. 3.26, trans. n Yarnod, A1e !nspiring Rites,
27
197.
440 Ambrose, Sac. 4.5, aso see 6-8 (SC 25: 104).
170 chapter four
and, as Tertuan noted, may aso aude to the radant whteness of
Chrsts garments at the transguraton (Matt 1.7).441
Ths metaphor of new cothes (or changng cothes) s a unversa
regous symbo, as s ther coor. |osephus reports that the Essenes
aways dressed n whte and that ther novces receved whte garments
when they entered the communty.442 In Apueus 3etamorphoses, the
character Lucus s gven a ne nen robe after hs premnary purcatory
bath, and then he s ceremonay re-vested (or nvested) wth a
garment of ne nen, a cope and stoe a eaboratey embrodered wth
owers and exotc beasts, foowng hs ntaton nto the Iss cut.443
Before the fourth century, Chrstan ntates probaby brought ther
own cean cothng to baptsm for re-robng. The Apostolic Tradition,
for nstance, speaks ony of neophytes puttng on ther (own?) cothng
before beng brought for the na anontng.444 By the md-fourth
century, accordng to extant terary evdence, the re-robng ceremony
had become an mportant symbo, and neophytes receved new whte
garments known as "abata" or "abs." Ambrose expans the meanng
of these robes, that they ndcate the nnocence of the neophytes and
reca |esus at hs transguraton:
After ths you receved whte garments to ndcate that you had shed
your coverng of sns, and puttng on the chaste robe of nnocence, of
whch the prophet sad: Sprnke me wth hyssop and I sha be cean;
wash me and I w be whter than snow |Psam 50.9|. For the one baptzed
s seen to have been ceansed both accordng to the aw and accordng
to the Gospe; accordng to the aw, because Moses sprnked the
bood of a amb wth a bunch of hyssop |Exodus 12.22| and accordng
to the Gospe because the garments of |esus were whte as snow, when
n the Gospe he showed the gory of hs resurrecton |Matthew 17.2|. As
the Lord sad through Isaah: "Even though your sns are scaret, I w
make them as whte as snow |Is 1.18|."445
Augustne kewse sees the robes as a sgner of nnocence, and compares
ther coor to the brghtness of the neophytes ceansed sous.
441 See |ohn the Deacon, -p. Sen, 6 for another exampe of ths expanaton of the
whte garments. On the symbosm of the presty vestments see aso |erome, -p. 64
(to Faboa, PL 22, 607-22). See aso Cyr of |erusaem, 3yst. 4.8.
442 |osephus, $.7. 2.123, and 2.137.
443 Apueus, 3etam. 11.23-24.
444 Trad. ap. 21.20.
445 Ambrose, 3yst. 7.34, trans. author (SC 25: 174.34). These whte robes are not
depcted n any of the extant eary Chrstan conography of baptsm, probaby because
the tradtona mage shows ony the moment of the naked canddate n the font.
Seeng the neophytes enterng the church foowng ther ntaton,
he urges them to "wak as chdren of ght" (cf. Eph 5.8).446 Cyr aso
admonshes the newy baptzed to "go aways n whte," by whch he
means that they shoud remember ther baptsm and keep ther sous
shnng and pure.447 |ohn the Deacon compared the robes to the vestments
of prests and weddng garments of brdes.448 Thus the ab as
seen n some of the conography reects an mportant concudng
aspect of a compete baptsma rtua.
28
4.5. (onfrmation9 !nvocation of the 2oly Spirit
4.5.1. !mposition of 2ands
The baptzer paces hs hand on the head of the recpent n amost
every eary nstance of eary baptsma conography. Ths partcuar
gesture, aways made wth the rght hand, has wdespread possbtes
for nterpretaton, from smpe benedcton to heang, ordnaton,
mposton of penance, and the reconcaton of pentents.449 Athough
the mage may depct the admnstrator startng to push the canddate
under water, t kewse coud portray the moment the neophyte has
rsen from the water and receves the gft of the Hoy Sprt, shown (n
most nstances) descendng nto the scene. The dove, of course, aso
beongs to scene of |esus baptsm by |ohn.
The mposton of hands has been descrbed as the rte that "competes"
the baptsma ceremony and whch-aong wth the post-baptsma
anontng wth chrsm-usuay was reserved to the bshop. In
the documents, ths ordnary takes pace after the newy baptzed
have been re-robed.450 However, n neary a of the conography, the
446 Augustne, Serm. 223.
447 Cyr of |erusaem, 3yst. 4.8. See aso |ohn Chrystostom, (atech. illum. 4.17-18;
Theodore of Mopsuesta, 2om bapt. 3.26; |ohn the Deacon, -p. Sen. 6; Zeno of Verona,
!nv. font. 6 (Tract. 1.23).
448 |ohn the Deacon, -p. Sen. 6.
449 See De Bruyne, "Lmposton des mans," for a detaed dscusson of ths gesture
n Chrstan conograph wth reference to these rtuas. For a brefer but more
recent dscusson see Lrenza de Mara, "Gest e atteggament neconograa battesmae
paeocrstana," A(!A( 8 (2001), 477-96. The eft hand s never used for
ths gesture, presumaby because t has nauspcous assocatons (see Gen. 28.13-20,
|acobs bessng of Ephram and Manasseh, for exampe).
450 For exampe, see the Trad. ap. 22.1. Post-baptsma anontng was not a unversa
practce of the eary Church. The ack of a post-baptsma anontng n East
172 chapter four
recpent st stands naked n the water, ndcatng that the baptzer s
about to dunk hm or pour water over hs head. Yet, the conography
may be conatng severa sequenta actons nto one snge mage: the
mmerson, the mposton of hands, and the post-baptsma anontng
wth chrsm.451
The New Testament refers to the mposton of hands at baptsm
n three paces, two of them n connecton to baptsm. Acts 19.5-6
descrbes Pau "rebaptzng" the Ephesan dscpes who had ony been
baptzed "nto |ohns baptsm." When Pau had ad hs hands upon
them, the Hoy Sprt came upon them so that they spoke wth tongues
and prophesed. In Acts 8.14-24, the Samartan converts who have ony
been "baptzed n the name of the Lord |esus" had not yet "receved the
Hoy Sprt," who, the text mpes, s transmtted through the mposton
of hands. Other baptsm accounts n Acts make no reference to
the mposton of hands (Acts 8.38-40 and Acts 16.33-34). The thrd
reference n Hebrews ncudes the mposton of hands as one of the
thngs mature Chrstans needed nstructon about, aong wth abutons,
the resurrecton of the dead, and eterna |udgment (Heb 6.2).
The New Testament never speces that the act ncuded anontng.
Nether the 'idache nor |ustn Martyr mentoned the mposton
of hands or anontng at baptsm.452 Irenaeus was aware of and
29
condemned the ntatory anontngs of gnostc groups but dd not
menton the practce as part of sanctoned (orthodox) baptsma rtes.453
Certan gnostc texts, n fact, are qute emphatc about the mportance
of anontng n ntaton and, n some cases, seem to prefer t
to the water bath. The Marcosans, accordng to Irenaeus, contrasted
the "perfect" sprtua baptsm naugurated by the Dvne Chrst
who descended upon the vsbe |esus wth the merey matera or
"anma" baptsm ohered by |ohn the Baptst. Athough some of these
groups may have admnstered an nta water bath, others asserted t
superuous to brng canddates to water. They used ony scented o
or even re|ected a matera eements, mantanng that the "mystery
Syran rtes has been dscussed by turgca schoars. See the summares of |ohnson,
Rites of (hristian !nitiation, 118-123; Leone Mtche, $aptismal Anointing (London:
SPCK, 1966); G.W.H. Lampe, Seal of the Spirit9 A Study in the 'octrine of $aptism
and (onfrmation in the 0e1 Testament and the +athers (London: Longmans Green,
1951), esp. 223-31.
451 See Franz |. Dger, "Dr Frmung," 1-41, where ths souton s suggested.
452 For exampe, |ustn Martyr, B Apol. 61-65, and 'idache 7.
453 Irenaeus, 2aer. 1.21.2-4.
of the unspeakabe and nvsbe power" ought not to be perverted by
the use of vsbe or corruptbe thngs.454
Tertuans treatse on baptsm, possby wrtten as a poemc aganst
those who eschewed use of water n baptsm, nevertheess cedes an
mportant roe to the mposton of hands and post-baptsma sgnng
wth chrsm beacuse they represent the descent of the Hoy Sprt.455
He descrbed the unon of water and Sprt n terms of hands payng
upon a wnd nstrument to produce a supernatura tune:
Next |after the anontng| foows the mposton of the hand n benedcton,
nvtng and wecomng the Hoy Sprt. Truy by means of human
nventon, t s permtted to summon sprt |or breath| nto the water,
and by appcaton of hands over the resut of ths unon, to anmate
by another sprt of great spendor |or tona carty|; sha not God be
aso aowed a musca nstrument |so that| the sacred hands mght pay
a subme ppe . . . At ths tme that most hoy Sprt descends wngy
from the Father on to bodes ceansed and bessed and comes to rest
upon the waters of baptsm as f revstng a prma dweng pace and as
t descended upon the Lord n the gure of a dove, so that the nature of
the Hoy Sprt coud be reveaed through a creature that s both smpe
and nnocent, because even n ts own body the dove s wthout ga.456
Cypran of Carthage argued wth Stephen of Rome over vadty of
schsmatc baptsm, especay about whch aspect of the rte was
nvad f performed by a non-cathoc bshop. Stephen recognzed the
emcacy of schsmatc baptsm so ong as those returnng to the "true
church" receved an mposton of hands n reconcaton (akn to the
rte n a pententa usage). Cypran beeved that Stephens souton
paced baptsms vadty soey n the apostoc mposton of hands,
the rte that conveyed the gfts of the Sprt. Aganst Stephen, Cypran
defended the essenta symbo of the water sayng that those who had
been baptzed outsde the church were thereby staned and pouted
by the unhoy water of heretcs and schsmatcs. It s not enough, he
nssted, to ay hands upon them ony n order to receve the Hoy
Sprt, because a person must be born of |both| water and the Sprt
30
(|ohn 3.5) to enter the kngdom of God.457
454 See aso the Aos. Phil. 67, for an emphass on anontng n ntaton.
455 Tertuan, $apt. 1.3, see Robn M. |ensen, "Wth Pomp, Apparatus, Novety, and
Avarce: Aternatve Baptsma Practces n Roman Afrca," 44 (2010), 77-83, StPatr.
456 Tertuan, $apt. 8.1-3 trans. author (CCL 1: 283.12-17).
457 Cypran, -p. 72.1.1-2.
174 chapter four
Consequenty, both sdes of the debate assumed that t was through
the mposton of hands that the Hoy Sprt was conferred. However,
whereas Stephen vewed the mposton of hands as a dstnct rte that
woud oher the necessary sgn of reconcaton for a schsmatc and
conferra of a "mssng rtua eement," Cypran mantaned that any
aspect of baptsm conducted outsde the "true church," ncudng the
water bath, acked the power to save.
The conct became more pronounced durng the fourth-century
Donatst controversy, n wth both partes camed to have the ony
vad baptsm. The Counc of Ares n 314 determned that those who
had been baptzed by heretcs shoud not be re-mmersed, but smpy
be gven the gft of the Hoy Sprt through the mposton of hands.458
As ate as 458 the matter st requred carcaton, as Pope Leo I wrtng
to Ncetas, the bshop of Aquea, expaned: "Those who have
been baptzed by heretcs, not havng been baptzed prevousy, are to
be conrmed by the mposton of hands, whe ony the Hoy Sprt
s nvoked, because they have receved the bare form of baptsm wthout
the power of sanctcaton."459 Therefore the washng s vewed as
unrepeatabe and emcacous, but the act of mposton of hands was
nvad f receved from a heretca or schsmatc bshop.
Thus the post-baptsma epscopa mposton of hands was an
ancent and paramount means for estabshng the vadty of the rte.
Post-baptsma anontng, not mentoned n the New Testament or
n the Apostoc Fathers, seems to be a subsdary ceremony, perhaps
rst deveoped among gnostc Chrstans and subsequenty adapted by
more orthodox communtes, arguaby n the ate second century, to
symboze the gft of the Hoy Sprt.460 Nevertheess, the Apostolic Tradition
regards the Sprt as transmtted n the mposton of hands and
not through the anontng that foows t. The atter act s dented,
nstead, as an act of "seang" (sphragid.ein). From the fourth century
onward, however, the practce and understandng of both of these gestures
changed accordng to tme and pace, and eventuay, they were
combned nto one acton that symbozed seang, conrmaton, and
458 Counc of Ares, (an. 8.
459 Leo, -p. 166, trans. Hunt, Pope, St. Leo the Areat, 250-51.
460 Ths s the argument of Lampe, Seal of the Spirit, 80. Here he contradcts Gregory
Dx, "The Sea n the Second Century," Theology 51 (1948), 7-12.
the recepton of the Hoy Sprt.461 Because of the unversa and unque
mportance of the post-baptsma mposton of hands for gvng the
Hoy Sprt, the conography most key represents that act rather than
ether dunkng or anontng.
4.5.2. The 'ove
Accordng to the above anayss, the mposton of hands n baptsma
conography sgnes the nvocaton and conferrng of the Hoy
31
Sprt. Ths moment s aso represented by the doves appearance n
many of the eary mages. Accordng to De Bruyne, a scene mght
ack one of these two sgns (gesture and dove) and st portray the
gvng of the Hoy Sprt.462 In addton, the dove appears n a four
Gospes, when the Hoy Sprt descends upon |esus "as a dove"
(cf. Mt 3.16). Later nterpreters regarded ths as an epphany of the
Hoy Trnty: |esus s n the water (as a man), God the Father s represented
as a voce from heaven ("Ths s my beoved Son") and the dove
s the Hoy Sprt.463
The doves descent sometmes s understood as the moment when
|esus s anonted as Messah-Chrst. For ths reason, the dove s
assocated wth post-baptsma hoy uncton. As we have seen, some
nterpreters have dented the substance that some mages depct
comng from the doves beak as the o of chrsmaton (cf. g. 3.11).464
However, a study of the catechetca and theoogca wrtngs reveas
no unanmty on ths pont. Irenaeus, for exampe, speaks n these
terms: "The Sprt of God descended upon |esus, for he had promsed
through the prophets that he woud anont hm, that we, ayng hod
461 In genera, both post-baptsma mposton of hands and anontng (consgnaton)
are epscopa acts n North Afrca, but not necessary n Rome, where a post
baptsma anontng coud have been gven by a presbyter, foowed by an mposton
of hands and yet another anontng (sgnng) by the bshop (Trad. ap. 21). The Eastern
rtes omt the post-baptsma anontng atogether n many nstances. Loca varatons
make a dscusson of ths too compcated to summarze here. See |ohnson, Rites of
(hristian !nitiation, 77-85, 123-4, and 138-40.
462 DeBruyne, "mposton des mans," 245. and n. 3.
463 In ater conography, the hand of God appears as a way of representng Gods
voce, and n the Mdde Ages, the hand s often repaced by a bearded "Father God"
gure. Ambrose speccay says, "So Chrst descended nto the water, and the Hoy
Sprt descended as a dove; God the Father aso spoke from heaven: You have the
presence of the Trnty," Sacr. 1.5.19, trans. R. Deferrar, FOC 44, 275.
176 chapter four
of the abundance of hs anontng, mght be saved."465 Centures ater,
however, Augustne nuanced such an nterpretaton, expanng that
Chrsts anontng aso happened at hs concepton n the womb of the
Vrgn and that the anontng of the Hoy Sprt at |esus baptsm was
a second anontng meant to pregure the anontng of the church,
gven n baptsm.466
Ambrose, by contrast, connected the doves descent wth the sanctcaton
of the waters n the font, whch, he expaned, s why the
prest consecrates the water before the canddate goes nto t, a custom
that reversed the Gospes order of events n whch |esus descended
nto the water before the dove appeared. |esus needed no sanctcaton
but descended so that the waters shoud be ready for sanctcaton.467
Furthermore, Ambrose vews the dove as a gure, stressng that t was
ony a "keness," whch s easy destroyed or changed, rather than the
unchangeabe "truth" tsef (God). As a symbo t had another purpose:
"Therefore, the Lord aso says: Be as wse as serpents, and as gueess
as doves. Accordngy then, |he| descended ke a dove, n order to
admonsh us to have the smpcty of a dove (Matt 10.16)"468
The dove certany represents the descent of the Sprt at baptsm,
but t mght carry other secondary meanngs as we, ncudng nnocence.
32
The dove by tsef, of course, has many possbe meanngs n
eary Chrstan art, and countess paraes n contemporary Roman
conography, where t mght be seen drnkng from a cup or as a part
of a ovey garden scene. In a funera settng, a dove s often depcted
wth an ove branch n ts beak, sometmes wth an orante and the
words "in pace." The dove aso appears wth Noah n eary Chrstan
conography, obvousy taken from the textua narratve, but aso symbozng
rescue or savaton from death. Thus a dove, even n a baptsma
scene (and especay one n a bura context), conveys the dea of
deverance from death and the promse of a peacefu afterfe.469
465 Irenaeus, 2aer. 3.9.3, trans. author.
466 Augustne, Trin. 15.46.
467 Ambrose, Sacr. 1.5.18. See dscusson above on the sanctcaton of the water n
the font, Chap. 4, pp. 134-6.
468 Ambrose, 3yst. 4.25, trans. author (SC 25: 168.25).
469 Shng, "De Taube;" Snyder, Ante Pacem, 38-41; and Barbara Mazze,
"Coumba," T!P, 153-4, for more exampes and dscusson.
(onclusion
The amount of correspondence between conography of baptsm and
references to ceremona actons or contexts n documentary sources
s reatvey sma, perhaps because the conography was not ntended
to record actua practces but rather to refer to the rtuas orgn, purpose,
or meanng. For exampe, the conography contnues to depct
|esus baptsm by |ohn the Baptst rather than the baptsm of an ordnary
neophyte, and to pace t n an outdoor settng (the |ordan Rver)
ong after baptsm woud have been moved to an ndoor venue and
conducted n prvate. In the same way, the Hoy Sprts descent upon
the one beng baptzed foows the bbca narratve by showng t as
a dove. The depcton of the recpent (|esus) as a sma naked chd
s more key a way to symboze the ntates regeneraton (rebrth)
and return to nnocence, than evdence of reguar or common pedobaptsm.
Moreover, the contnung portraya of |esus baptsm, especay
n baptsma spaces (e.g., the two Ravenna baptsteres where
the mage woud have been drecty over the head of the one standng
n the font), must have been ntended to demonstrate the neophytes
unon wth Chrst n the sacrament.
At the same tme, certan eements of the conography refer to what
must have been contemporary rtua practces, such as the admnstraton
of the water by pourng t (often from a vesse) over the head of
a fuy nude canddate. In the case of depctng ahuson rather than
mmerson, the conography departs from most of the documentary
evdence, where emphass s ad on the submerson of the body.
Another nstance of conographc correspondence wth turgca texts
s the portraya of the mposton of hands upon the neophyte by the
rtes presder. However, because of the conaton of severa actons n
a snge mage, ths act s often shown as f t was smutaneous wth
the admnstraton of water. Accordng to the documents, these two
actons normay woud have been qute dstnct, separated n tme and
space wthn the sacrament, the water bath preceedng the ayng-on
of hands, whch usuay woud have taken pace after the ntate was
33
dred oh and re-robed. Moerover, some ceremona eements are not
depcted n the mages, ncudng the exorcsm of the canddates,
anontng or seang wth the sgn of the cross, and the rerobng of
the newy baptzed n whte garments after they have emerged from
the water.
178 chapter four
Some eements n baptsma conography are perhaps cared by
survvng documents. These ncude the presence of severa persons
n the scene n addton to |ohn the Baptst or the bshop/admnstrant.
These addtona gures mght have ndcated the presence of
sponsors, wtnesses, and rtua assstants (e.g. presbyters, deacons, and
deaconesses). The doves presence n most of the conography may be
coordnated wth the emphass on the roe of the Hoy Sprt n baptsm,
sanctfyng and seang the neophyte foowng the water bath.
The conography, therefore, typcay has a dherent functon from
the documentary source. It does not bear a drect correspondence
aong the nes of an ustraton, nor does t oher a representaton of
the sacrament for the purpose of nstructon or modeng. Rather, t
nterprets the act n ts context, gves t a regous orgn, and eaborates
on ts meanng and sgncance.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE DESIGN AND DECORATION OF EARLY CHRISTIAN
BAPTISTERIES
!ntroduction
Athough wth possbe exceptons (e.g., the baptsm of Pau n Acts
9.17-18 whch may have taken pace n Ananas house), baptsm
seems to have been, orgnay, an outdoor ceremony, admnstered
n a pace wth accessbe, owng water. Ths s attested n other New
Testament baptsms (e.g. |esus baptsm n the |ordan, the Ethopans
baptsm n Acts 8) and s evdent n the nstructons provded n the
'idache as we as n the ausons of |ustn Martyr and Tertuan to
movng canddates from an nteror to an exteror settng.470 Based on
the exstence of a baptstery n the thrd-century Dura Europos house
church,471 t appears that by the md-thrd century the rte had begun
to be admnstered wthn specay-desgned or renovated nteror
rooms. These chambers woud have been equpped wth fonts arge
enough to accommodate adut canddates, athough not necessary to
provde for fu mmerson, snce water mght be poured from above,
as shown n the extant conography.
Rather than beng at some dstance from the church, survvng
exampes show that these purpose-but rooms were ether drecty
annexed to the man worshp ha or free standng budngs ad|acent
to the congregatons assemby space.472 The Dura Europos specay
470 See the dscusson of ths deveopment above, Chap. 4.1, pp. 129-32.
471 See dscusson of Dura Europos beow, pp. 182-4.
472 See the ma|or study of Sebastan Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien (7A( 27m
1998); as we as the earer work of Andr Khatchatran, Les baptistHres palIochrItiens
(Pars: Impr. Natona, 1962); and |ohn Gordon Daves, The Architectural Setting
of $aptism (London: Barre and Rockch, 1962). A bref, but mportant entry by
Marna Faa Castefranch, "Battstero" occurs n the -nciclopedia dellarte medievale
!!! (1992), 214-17. A more recent study of baptsteres was pubshed by Sbe de
34
Baauw, n a subsecton ("Baptsterum") of the entry "Kutgebude," n the RA( 20
(2008), 227-393. In Engsh, a chapter-ength summary of eary Chrstan baptsteres
s ncuded n Mburn, -arly (hristian Art and Architecture, 203-14; and a more
popuar, but usefu, work s by Anta Stauher, )n $aptismal +onts9 Ancient and 3odern
(Bramcote: Grove Books, Ltd., 1994). A forthcomng cataogue, $aptisteries of the
180 chapter ve
renovated baptsma chamber probaby was not unque.473 Baptsm aso
mght have taken pace n exstng domestc poos (piscinae) or even n
prvate or pubc baths.474 In fact, the Latn word, baptisterium, generay
referred to a arge basn or piscina, found n the frigidarium of a
Roman bath. Pny the Younger n a etter to Aponarus descrbes
|ust such a bath arrangement at hs house n Tuscany.475
Tertuan, by contrast, refers to the font as a piscina, whch teray
meant "shpond."476 Usng ths term, piscina, for a baptsma font
had a doube sutabty because the sh symbo occurred n both the
conography and theoogy of Chrstan baptsm.477 The decoraton of
many fonts, especay n North Afrca, wth sh and other sea creatures
ndcates that artsts sked n budng and decoratng domestc
poos may have been empoyed for budng fonts (see g. 5.19, for
exampe). Other fonts bore smartes to poos but for the pubc
baths, ned n ther nteror wth seats and embeshed wth coorfu
mosac desgns.
5.1. Purpose Built Baptisteries
Known and st exstng structures from the fourth century demonstrate
that by that tme ndoor baptsma spaces had become the norm.
The Emperor Constantnes egazaton and persona patronage of the
Chrstan church resuted n a ma|or budng program both n Rome
and the Hoy Land. Accordng to the Liber Pontifcalis, Constantne
(or one of hs sons) may have but what was probaby the earest and
-arly (hristian :orld, ed. Wam Caraher, Robn M. |ensen and Rchard Rutherford
w provde an Engsh-anguage survey of baptsteres and fonts from the fourth
through the seventh centures.
473 Some evdence for baptzng n prvate homes occurs n the Passio S. (allisti,
Cod. Vat. Reg. 316, 449-50, whch speaks of we-water used for baptsm and the
bessng of a font nsde of a house that served as a church.
474 Tertuan refers to baptsm n an alveo, whch mght refer to a tub n a bath,
$apt. 4. 3. The Syrac Acts of 7udas Thomas state that Kng Gundaphorus was baptzed
n a pubc bath. The Pgrm of Bordeaux descrbes a vst to a prvate bath n Caesarea,
beeved to be the ste of Corneus baptsm. See !tin. $urd. 13.
475 Pny the Younger, -p. 5, 6. 25-26; aso -p. 2.17.11.
476 See aso Gregory of Tours, 3ir. 1.1.34 (PL 71.725). Other terms sometmes
appear as we. Tertuan uses the term lavacrum n (or. 3 and $apt. 7 and 11. Paunus
of Noa uses the term lavacrum n -p. 12 (to Severus); whe the Lib. Pont. 48.2
(Harus) uses the term nymphaeum to refer to the Lateran baptstery.
477 See dscusson beow, Chap. 6, pp. 234-7.
desgn and decoraton of baptsma spaces 181
most sgncant detached baptstery n the West at the Lateran Basca,
whch he founded shorty after hs vctory over Maxentus n 313.478
The Church of the Hoy Sepuchre, aso but under hs drecton n
the eary 330s ncuded a baptsma room that accommodated both
oca converts and pous pgrms.479 A few traces of what may have
been pre-Constantnan baptsteres n the West are not we preserved
but appear to be but aong the same nes as the Dura baptstery-
35
rectanguar rooms attached to church budngs that were converted
from domestc structures or eary church has. Unfortunatey, unke
the Dura budng, these remans are harder to date. The rectanguar
baptstery room attached to the basca of S. Crsogono n Rome, for
exampe, mght be pre-Constantnan or may have been annexed to
the man part of the budng as ate as the fth century.480
The factors that ed to the constructon of more eaborate baptsma
spaces n the fourth century no doubt ncuded the ncreasng
need for a space and for a reguated, mpressve rte to accommodate
the arge number of converts foowng the emperors ead; the ack of
need for secrecy once the regon was egay toerated; the ncreasng
sense of herarchy and contro of the bshop over the centra mysteres
of the church; and the desre of weathy and mpera patrons to
bud estabshments that not ony protected ther prvacy and added
grandeur to the ntaton rte but aso attested to ther generosty and
pety. The budng of baptsteres proxmate to the man basca of the
regon generay ensured that the rte remaned n the oca bshops
contro, even though the matera evdence ndcates that baptsm was
not aways restrcted to the prncpa church of a docese. Mutpe
baptsteres wthn one urban area (at a number of parsh churches)
may have been a practca souton to a rsng demand for ntaton to
the fath, as we as a pous desre to be baptzed n or near the shrne
of a martyr.481 In some cases, however, more than one baptstery n a
478 Constantnan constructon of the Lateran Baptstery s not certan, however. See
Oof Brandt, "Ipotes sua struttura de Battstero Lateranese tra Costantno e Ssto
III," n -cclesiae urbis9 atti del congresso interna.ionale di studi sulle chiese di Roma,
J!6?" secoloK, vo. 2 (2002), eds. Frederco Gudobad and Aessandra Gudobad,
923-32.
479 Noted n Egera, !tin. 38.1; 46.
480 See Rchard Krauthemer, et a., (orpus $asilicarum (hristianarum Romae 1
(Vatcan Cty, 1937), 144-54.
481 See essay by Robn M. |ensen, "Baptsma Practces at North Afrcan Martyrs
Shrnes," for Ablution, !nitiation, and $aptism in -arly 7udaism, AraecoFRoman Religion,
and -arly (hristianity, ed. Davd Hehom (DeGruyter, antcpated 2010).
182 chapter ve
snge area coud serve competng communons or schsmatc congregatons.
482
For exampe, Romes Chrstan congregaton requred more than
one baptstery to accommodate the numbers of ntates. Athough
the prncpe baptstery was estabshed at the Lateran Basca, textua
or archaeoogca evdence of addtona Roman baptsteres from
the fourth or eary fth centures ncude fonts at St. Peters (nstaed
by Pope Damasus), S. Lorenzo fuor e Mura, S. Marceo n Corso,
S. Cemente, and S. Lorenzo n Lucna. By the eary Mdde Ages, most
of the mportant churches of Rome had ther own baptsma structures,
suggestng that that the bshops excusve supervson of the
rtua was probaby no onger practca and parsh churches (ed by
presbyters) graduay assumed some of the epscopa prerogatves.483
Whe few of the earest baptsma chambers are ntact, the rare
exampes wth survvng was or cengs demonstrate that they were
often eaboratey decorated wth eaborate poychrome stone pavements,
wa pantngs and (ater on) decoratve gass mosacs. The
geometrc, ora, and guratve motfs of these decoratons vary consderaby
36
over tme and space, athough a reate to the theoogca
sgncance of the rte n certan respects. Ths chapter descrbes the
desgn and decoraton of a seect group of eary baptsteres, notng
exstng nscrptons or other documents that descrbe ther specc
structures or furnshngs.484 It aso consders the purpose and symboc
mpcatons of archtectura desgn n genera, the possbe meanng
of the varety of shapes and szes of both baptstery budngs and the
fonts wthn them.
5.1.1. The Dura Europos Baptistery
The earest exstng exampe of specay but baptsma archtecture s
part of the Chrstan budng at Dura Europos, whch was dscovered n
eastern Syra and excavated by archaeoogsts from the French Academy
482 For exampe, mutpe baptsteres n North Afrcan towns coud have served
competng Donatst and Cathoc churches.
483 See Brandenburg, Ancient (hurches of Rome, passim but esp. 251-2; aso |ensen,
"Baptsm at North Afrcan Martyrs Shrnes."
484 The concentraton, here, on baptsteres of Itay and North Afrca (wth the excepton
of the Dura Europos Baptstery) s party because these baptsma structures have
survvng or recorded conography and nscrptons. Other baptsteres wth survvng
decoraton ncude the Butrnt Baptstery n Abana. For ths baptstery see |ohn
Mtche, The $utrint $aptistery and its 3osaics (London/Trana: Butrnt Foundaton,
2008). Ths baptstery w be cted n the dscusson of conography n Chap. 6.
of Inscrptons and Letters and Yae Unversty begnnng n 1928. A
unque dscovery, ths eary house church was but around 240 and
abandoned durng an attack by the Sassanans on ths Roman garrson
town n 256 (g. 5.1).485 The baptstery room was taken to the Unted
States and reconstructed at the Yae Unversty Art Gaery (g. 5.1).
The room, on the north sde of the house (probaby part of the womens
quarters) that was transformed nto a baptsma ha was tted
wth a rectanguar font at ts west end. Ths basn-measurng about
1.6 m. ong by 1 m. wde and about 1 m. deep-was set nto a nche
covered by an arch. Ths arrangement bears smartes to the arched
recess (arcosoum) over a sarcophagus n a Roman catacomb. In ths
nstance the font repaced the rectanguar tomb or sarcophagus.
Both the archs vaut and rooms ceng are panted wth whte stars
on a bue ed. The arch tsef has a decoratve band of pomegranates,
485 Cark Hopkns, The 'iscovery of 'uraF-uropos, ed. Bernard Godman (New
Haven: Yae Unversty Press, 1979); Car H. Kraeng, The (hristian $uilding9 -#cavations
at 'ura -uropos, +inal Report 6!!!.@ (New Haven: Yae Unversty Press, 1967);
and L. Mchae Whte, The Social )rigins of (hristian Architecture, vo. 2 (Batmore:
|ohns Hopkns Press, 1990), 123-31.
Fg. 5.1 Baptstery, Dura Europos, Eastern Syra, ca. 240. Photo: Yae
Unversty Art Gaery, Dura-Europos Coecton.
184 chapter ve
grapes, and wheat. The unette under the arch shows an mage of a
shepherd wth hs sheep and a sma Adam and Eve on ether sde of
a tree; a serpent sthers aong the ground between them. Pantngs on
two regsters on the other three was (south, north, and east) were
mosty destroyed but the remanng scenes have been dented as the
Samartan woman at the we and Davd and Goath (on the south
wa); |esus heang the paraytc, wakng on water, and stng the
37
storm (on the north wa); and (beow these) three women carryng
torches toward a rectanguar structure wth a peaked roof, wth stars at
each corner. Schoars dsagree about whether ths pantng shows the
three women comng to the empty tomb on Easter mornng (cf. Mark
16.1), or (aternatvey) three of the ve wse vrgns approachng the
brdegrooms tent (cf. Matt 25.1-13).486
The south wa of the room had two doorways-one openng nto
a centra courtyard and the other nto a western room that may have
served as a prvate space for preparng the baptsma canddates. Ths
connectng room ed nto what has been assumed to be the assemby
space for the communty on the south part of the house.
5.1.2. $aptisteries in !taly
5.1.2.1. Lateran $aptistery JSan Aiovanni in +onteK, Rome
Hstorcay, ths s probaby the most mportant eary Chrstan baptstery
n the West (g. 5.2). It was one of the rst free-standng baptsteres
and was personay admnstered by the Bshop of Rome. It aso beonged
to the compex of the great Lateran Paace and ts Basca, whch was
but wth an endowment provded by Constantne I n Rome, ca. 312.
The Liber Pontifcalis mstakeny asserts that Constantne hmsef was
baptzed there by Bshop Syvester (a cam contradcted by the Life of
(onstantine, usuay credted to Eusebus), and ths tradton s reected
n a famous pantng by Francesco Penn n the Vatcan Museum.487 Aso,
486 Ether possbty coud be argued as approprate for a baptsma chamber, see
beow, Chap. 6, p. 277. On the conography generay see Annabee Wharton, Refguring
the PostF(lassical (ity9 'ura -uropos, 7erash, 7erusalem, and Ravenna (New York:
Cambrdge Unversty Press, 1995), 51-63; Mchae I. Rostovtzeh, 'ura -uropos and
its Art (New York: AMS Press, 1978); and Ann Louse Perkns, The Art of 'ura -uropos
(Oxford: Carendon Press, 1973).
487 Lib. Pont. 34 (Syvester).13; Eusebus, 6it. (onst. 4.62 wrtes that Constantne
was baptzed |ust before hs death at the cathedra n Ncomeda. See Vncenzo
Aeo, "Costantno, a ebbra e battesmo d Svestro," n (ostantino il Arande,
dallantichitL allumanesimo, vo. 1, ed., G. Bonamente and F. Fusco (Macerata: Unverst
deg stud d Macerata, 1992), 17-58.
Fg. 5.2 Lateran Baptstery exteror (San Govann n Fonte), Rome, fth
century. Photo: Author.
Fg. 5.3 Lateran Baptstery nteror (San Govann n Fonte), Rome, fourth
186 chapter ve
accordng to the Liber Pontifcalis, Constantne ordered the font to be
but of porphyry and covered wth sver nsde and out. In the mdde
of the basn, a porphyry coumn supported a goden bow burned over
200 pounds of basam at Easter. Ths document addtonay credted
Constantne wth provdng the funds for a sod god amb and seven
sver stags to pour water nto the font, a goden and |eweed censor,
and neary fe-szed sver statues of Chrst and |ohn the Baptst. |ohn
hed an nscrbed scro that read: "Behod the Lamb of God who takes
away the sns of the word."488
The budng was constructed |ust fty meters or so to the northwest
of the Lateran Basca, over the foundatons of a bath (that mght
have factated the conveyance or dranage of baptsma water). For a
ong tme, archtectura hstorans have beeved the orgna budng
38
was cyndrca n form, wth a round basn n ts center.489 The end of
a fourth-century sarcophagus now n the Vatcan Museum depcts a
budng that some have dented wth the Lateran baptstery.490 The
same hstorans who argued for an orgna cyndrca shape beeved
that at some pont, perhaps durng the pontcate of Sxtus III, the
budng was rebut to have an octagona desgn, possby foowng
the mode of other centrazed church budngs and shrnes (see
g. 5.2).491 More recenty, schoars have expressed doubts and re-read
the archaeoogca evdence to propose that the orgna budng had
a crcuar foundaton but octagona eevaton and probaby was but
some tme we after the Lateran basca was competed.492 Ths aso
488 Lib. Pont. 34.13 (Syvester). On the Constantnan endowments, and some doubts
about the emperors actua patronage see Oof Brandt, "Deer, Lambs, and Water n the
Lateran Baptstery," RivA( 81 (2005), 131-56; and Brandt, "Ipotes sua structura de
Battstero Lateranese." A reconstructon of ths, drawn by B. Mazze s reproduced n
Bscont, "Lconograa de battster," 409.
489 See Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #403-4, 190; and Govann Peccon,
Le nuove scoperte sulle origini del battistero lateranese, Att Pontca Accad. Romana
Arch. ser. 3, mem. 12.1 (Rome, 1973).
490 Ths budng, however, s otherwse meant to be n a |erusaem context, whch
s why some nterpreters have argued that t mght have been based on the Hoy Sepuchre.
See Orazo Marucch, "Un nsgne sarcofago crstano Lateranese reatvo a
prmato de S. Petro ed a gruppo deantco Laterano," RivA( 2 (1925), 84-116.
491 Accordng to Eusebus, the Constantnan basca n Antoch was octagona n
shape. See aso the dscusson of the Ambrosan baptstery beow, pp. 195-8.
492 Compare the dated arguments of Govann B. Govenae, !l $attistero Lateranense
(Rome, 1929), who beeved that the round budng was converted to an octagon
n the 5th century wth that of Rchard Krauthemer, who thought the octagona budng
was aso Constantnan--arly (hristian and $y.antine Architecture, 4th ed. (New
York: Pengun, 1986), 90-92, n. 47. The more recent work of Brandt, "Ipotes sua
suggests that the Lateran coud have been the mode for ater fourthand
fth-century octagona structures.493
The Liber Pontifcalis states that Sxtus had eght porphyry coumns
erected on spurs pro|ectng from the fonts outer edge to create
an nner octagona coonnade, usng coumns that Constantne had
mported from Egypt and probaby orgnay set aganst the nsde
was of the budng (g. 5.3).494 On these were paced an octagona
marbe archtrave that supported another octagona coonnade
(a second storey) and an upper cerestory wth eght wndows and a
sma dome. The ower archtrave (or entabature) was nscrbed wth
the foowng poem of eght stanzas, possby composed by Leo I when
he was a deacon (before he succeeded Sxtus as bshop of Rome):
Aens sacranda polis hic semine nascitur almo
quam fecundatis spiritus edit aquis.
3ergere, peccator sacro purgande Muento9
quem veterem accipiet, proferet unda novum.
0ulla renascentum est distantia, quos facit unum
unus fons, unus spiritus, una fdes.
6irgineo fetu genitri# ecclesia natos
quos spirante deo concipit amne parit,
!nsons esse volens isto mundare lavacro,
seu patrio premeris crimine seu proprio.
+ons hic est vitae qui totum diluit orbem,
sumens de (hristi vulnere principium
39
(aelorum regnum sperate hoc fonte renati9
non recipit feli# vita semel genitos.
0ec numerus quemquam scelerum nec forma suorum
terreat9 hoc natus Mumine sanctus erit.495
struttura de Battstero Lateranese," seems to have resoved the queston. See aso, Oof
Brandt and Federco Gudobad, "I Battstero Lateranese: Nuovo nterpretazon dee
fas struttura," RivA( 84 (2008), 189-282; and Marna Faa Castefranch, "Ledco
battesmae n Itaa ne perodo paeocrstano," n A(!A( 8 (2001), 267-301. The
archaeoogca questons, archtecture, and functon of ths monument have most
recenty been summarzed by Hugo Brandenburg, Ancient (hurches of Rome, 37-54.
493 See M. Castefranch, "Ledco," 270-71.
494 Liber Pont. 46 (Sxtus III). 7. The text here ony records Sxtus provdng decoratons
that had not prevousy been there and the erecton of the eght porphyry
coumns as we as the archtrave wth verses.
495 See Robn M. |ensen, "Inscrptons from Eary Chrstan Baptsteres n Rome,"
n Acta ad Archaeologiam et Artium 2istoriam Pertinentia 15 (Rome: Insttutum
Romanum Norvgae, forthcomng). Aso see Guseppe Cucto, "Epgra d apparato
ne battster paeocrstan dItaa," n Ledifcio battesimale in !talia. Aspetti e problemi9
A(!A( 8 (2001), 441-66. The argument that Leo I was the author of these verses
was made by Franz |. Dger, "De Inschrft m Baptsterum S. Govann n Fonte
188 chapter ve
(A peope to be consecrated to the heavens, here s born from a frutfu
seed,
estabshed by waters made ferte by the Sprt.
Punge n, oh snner, to be ceansed by the sacred ow.
whom t receves od, the wave returns new.
No dherences exst among those beng reborn,
whom one font, one sprt and one fath make one.
By a vrgna brth, the mother church bears chdren.
Those she conceves by Gods breathng, she brths by ths stream.
You who wsh to be nnocent, wash n the bath,
whether you are burdened by ancestra sn or your own.
Ths s the fountan of fe, whch ceanses the whoe word,
ts orgn s Chrsts wound.
Hope for the heaveny kngdom, once you have been reborn n ths
sprng;
that happy fe does not admt those ony once-born.
Let nether the number nor knd of ther sns frghten.
Anyone reborn n the rver w be hoy.)
These nes pany stress the understandng of baptsm as a second
brth, wth the church as the mother.496 However, baptsm here aso
acts as a washng or ceansng from sn (both unversa and persona).
Furthermore, the waters of fe are nked to Chrsts redemptve passon,
as ther "source" s the wound n hs sde. Fnay, both the references
to the new race "born from frutfu seed" and the fountan
that "waters the whoe word" recas the garden of Eden, the orgna
brthpace of the race, watered by ts four aborgna rvers.
The budngs other mportant character s ts octagona desgn. The
exteror octagon s renforced, nsde, by the two sets of eght coumns
that rse above the font. The octagon as a symbo of the new creaton
s dscussed at ength beow.
der Lateranschen Baska aus der Zet Xystus III (432-440) und de Symbok des
Taufbrunnens be Leo dem Grossen," A( 2 (1930), 252-57. Hs argument s based
on terary paraes wth Leos sermons, especay hs descrpton of the font as the
vrgna womb of the mother church. Pau A. Underwood makes a smar argument
n "The Fountan of Lfe and the Manuscrpts of the Gospes," ')P 5 (1950), 56-61.
40
The Latn text above s based on the reconstructon of Dger, 258, athough dherent
orderng has sometmes been proposed.
496 See Robn M. |ensen, "3ater -cclesia and +ons Aeterna: The Church and Her
Womb n Ancent Chrstanty," The +eminist (ompanion to Patristic Literature, ed.
Amy-| Levne and Mara Mayo Robbns (Ceveand: Pgrm Press, 2008), 137-55.
5.1.2.2. Font in the Catacomb of an Pon!iano" #ome
Apart from a possbe baptstery n the catacomb of Prsca, ths s the
ony baptsma font so far dscovered n the Roman catacombs. Dated
no earer than the fth and as ate as the eghth century, t es at the
base of a ght of steps and s essentay a rectanguar basn about 1 m.
deep, |ust under 2 m. across and 1.5 m. wde. A sma andng at the
foot of the steps aows room ony for a canddate and a baptzer. Ths
partcuar catacomb was but n sandstone rather than more durabe
tufa rock. Because of ths, oodng probaby occurred, eavng a poo
of water that coud have become a natura baptstery. The basn, aso,
may have been created as a storage area for the fossores who excavated
the catacombs tunnes and chambers. Later, after the transaton of
addtona recs (probaby of the martyrs Abdon and Sennon), the
space was transformed nto an underground shrne wth a baptsma
font.497
Athough Afonse Fausone argues that ths was a suburban baptstery,
not necessary for pgrms but for those vng outsde the cty who desred
a more convenent baptstery than the Lateran, t s hard to consder ths
partcuar pace as convenent. By the fth century, Rome aready had
many more baptsteres than the one at the Lateran.498 Most key ths
baptstery was assocated wth the cemetery church of St. Pontanus,
bshop of Rome from 230-35 and s another exampe of a baptstery
at a martyrs shrne.499
Above the font, severa nterestng frescoes revea detas that party
account for ts datng. The conformty of the frescoes composton to
eary Byzantne conography of baptsm ponts to a ater date as more
key. The pantng over the font (at the back) shows |ohn baptzng
|esus, who s depcted as an adut, nmbed, and standng up to hs hps
n water (g. 5.4). |ohn, aso nmbed, wears an anma skn and hods
a shepherds crook. An ange stands opposte and has veed hands. A
dove hovers over |esus head and a stag on the ower eft drnks water
from the |ordan Rver.
497 The most recent study of ths font s that of Monca Rccard, "Nuove recherch
su battstero nea Catacomb d Ponzano a Roma, A(!A( 8 (2001), 957-74.
498 Fausone, 'ie Taufe, 133-34; see aso Pasquae Testn, Archeologia cristiana
(Rome: Desce, 1958), 190 and |ohann Krsch, The (atacombs of Rome (Rome: Socet
Amc dee Catacombe, 1946), 182. On the number of baptsteres n Rome by the
fth century see dscusson above, p. 182.
499 See |ensen, "Baptsm at North Afrcan Martyrs Shrnes."
190 chapter ve
Beow the baptsm scene rses a gem-studded cross, owers sproutng
from ts base. The etters apha and omega hang from ts cross bar;
t candes rse above them. The ad|acent wa shows a bust of Chrst,
hs hands stretched out to present wreaths to the shrnes two martyrs
Abdon and Sennon (whose recs probaby were ad somewhere
nearby).500 Two other sants stand to ether sde n the prayer stance.
41
500 See Bscont, "Lconograa de battster," 424-7.
Fg. 5.4 Baptstery, Catacomb of San Ponzano, Rome, fth-eghth century.
Photo: Estee Brettmann, The Internatona Catacomb Socety.
5.1.2.3. an $io%anni in Fonte" at the Basilica of ta&
#estituta"
0aples
Ths reatvey sma (about 7 m. square), domed baptstery probaby
was but n the ate fourth century, durng the epscopacy of Severus
(362-408), and remodeed durng the epscopacy of Soter (465-486).501
Annexed to the od church of Sta. Resttuta (now part of the cathedra
compex), t now can be entered through a chape at the upper
end of the rght-hand ase, behnd the man apse. It has, n addton,
a separate entrance, a rectanguar portco, set oh by four coumns,
whch connects the baptstery to the archepscopa paace by a ght
of tweve steps.
Athough the foundatons and was of ths budng form a square,
the nteror s transformed nto an octagon by squches that support
the dome. The whte marbe basn of the font n the center s arge
(about 2 m. across) but rather shaow (about 45 cm. deep), round,
and surrounded by a snge step (g. 5.5). The dranage hoe for emptyng
the basn s st vsbe. The rchy coored gass mosacs n the
dome and on the squnches are st ntact even though very much
damaged.502
In the domes center, a arge god ch-rho monogram oats on a
bue, star-studded orb. It s anked by an apha and omega oats and
over t the hand of God hods a |eweed wreath bound wth a god
rbbon (g. 5.6). Ths mage woud have been drecty above the one
beng baptzed. A wde decoratve band of brds (peacocks, pheasants,
and a phoenx), vegetaton and vases of frut and owers surrounds
the medaon. Eght bands decorated wth vases (canthari) ed wth
owers, frut, and brds radate from ths center pont and dvde the
dome nto eght curved, tranguar compartments. The upper part of
each of these sectons s decorated wth bue and god draperes ooped
501 The most recent dscusson of ths monument s n the artce of |anne Desmuez,
"Le dosser du groupe Epscopa de Napes. tat actue des recherches," AntTard
6 (1998), 345-54; but the (now dated) work of |ean-Lous Maer s st vauabe. See
Maer, Le baptistHre de 0aples et ses mosaNques9 Itude historique et iconographique
(Frbourg: Edtons Unverstares, 1964), esp. 15-24. An ancent documentary source
regardng the constructon of the baptstery s the Liber Pont. sanc. 0eapol. scc., ed.
G. Watz (Hannoverae: Impenss bbopo Hahnan, 1878), 408.
502 On the mosac program see Kata Gando, Les mosaques du baptstre de
Napes: programe conographque et turge," n !l 'uomo di 0apoli dal paleocristiano
alletL angioina, ed. Serena Romano and Ncoas Bock (Napes: Eecta Napo,
2002), 21-34; Maer, Le baptistHre, 25-77; Bscont, "Lconograa de battster," 433-
5; Lucen De Bruyne, "La dcoraton des baptstres paochrtens," A(!A( 5 (1957),
341-69; and Georg Stuhfauth, "Das Baptsterum, San Govann n Fonte n Neape
und sene Mosaken," ReinholdFSeeberg +estschrift 2 (1929), 181-212.
192 chapter ve
Fg. 5.6 Baptstery mosacs, Basca of Sta. Resttuta (San Govann n
Fonte), Napes, ate fourth century. Photo: Author.
Fg. 5.5 Baptsma font, Basca of Sta. Resttuta (San Govann n Fonte),
Napes, ate fourth century. Photo: Author.
42
over a geometrcay decorated archtrave on whch perch brds ankng
vases of owers and frut.
Beow the brds and draperes are guratve scenes based on bbca
narratves. Four are st vsbe: the mracuous catch of sh (g. 5.7)
as Chrst sts the storm and waks on the water, the women and ange
at the empty tomb, the Samartan woman at the we appended to a
renderng of the mrace at Cana (g. 6.9), and |esus gvng the aw to
hs dscpes (the traditio legisOg. 6.5). Lucen De Bruyne proposes
that two of the ost panes contaned heang scenes of the paraytc
and the bnd man. He aso proposes that one of the heavy damaged
panes contaned a scene of the mrace of the oaves and sh.503
503 De Bruyne, "La decoraton," 344. He mosty dscounts Wperts con|ecture
(based on the roughy contemporary cyce of mosacs at S. Matrona near Napes),
Fg. 5.7 Baptstery mosacs, Basca of Sta. Resttuta (San Govann n
Fonte), Napes, ate fourth century. Photo: Author.
194 chapter ve
The mages of the Samartan woman |oned to the weddng at Cana
(g. 6.9) reect the symbosm of vng water and the sacramenta
use of both water and wne. The scenes of |esus wakng on the water
and stng the storm have baptsma assocatons as we, prmary
because they depct |esus rescue of the dscpes whe they are n the
water. The women comng to the empty tomb pont to the hope of the
resurrecton for those who have been baptzed.
Beneath the dome, horzonta panes aternate wth the squnches.
The panes show sants or apostes caspng crowns of god and |eweed
oak eaves.504 The four squnches that transform the square room
to an octagona base for the dome were decorated wth the symbos of
the four evangests or the four vng creatures from Reveaton 4.6-8
(wnged man, ox, on, and eage). Ony three of these four survve (the
ox s ost). Behnd ther heads are the same god and whte stars that
decorate the centra medaon. Above, an arched band frames each
evangest symbo, these bands contan pastora scenes; two have deer
comng to a stream of water and two show a Good Shepherd wth hs
sheep. In one of these atter mages the Good Shepherd carres a amb
on hs shouders and gestures nvtngy toward the rock-fountan; n
the other he recnes n a ower-ed meadow.
5.1.2.4. Baptistery of an tefano" 'ilan
A baptsma font es beow the sacrsty of the Cathedra of Man
(but over the ancent Basca of Sta. Mara Maggore). Ths orgna
baptsma chamber, probaby constructed n the eary fourth century
and orgnay attached to the ancent basca, was qute arge (about
18 m. n dameter) and qute smpe n pan (havng nether apses nor
nches). The octagona basn s more than 2 m. wde and about 80 cm.
deep. A snge bench surrounds ts nteror, and a vsbe dranage
hoe at the base of the basn provdes a means of emptyng the baptsma
water. The odest known octagona font, ths may have been the
that the ost mages ncuded an annuncaton scene but he s more wng to aow
Wperts and Stuhfauths argument that one of the scenes woud have depcted
|ohn baptzng |esus because the remans of some bare feet appear n ths mage. See
Wpert, 'ie rPmischen 3osai%en und 3alereien, 230; and Stuhfauth, "Das Baptsterum,"
43
197.
504 Maer dscusses some of the varousy proposed denttes for these sants and
argues that they are most key apostes because ther names are not gven (as they
often are n the conography of sants). See Maer, Le baptistHre, 52.
mode for subsequent monuments.505 At a ater date t mght have been
reserved for the baptsm of women.506
No matera evdence has been found of the fantastc machnery
descrbed by Bshop Ennodus of Pava (511-521) n hs short poem
on ths baptstery tted: "On the baptsma font of St. Stephen and
the Water Whch Fas from Its Coumns."507 Accordng to the text,
when Bshop Eustorgus (343-350) rebut the baptstery he provded a
fantastc hydrauc apparatus that aowed water to fa nto and the
font from above, probaby from the undersde of a stone badachn:
Behod, t rans wthout a coud under the canopy-
a ran shower n a cear sky.
The cear face |form| of heaven provdes the water;
Fowng rvers run down over sacred marbe bocks.
See agan, see! The stone brngs forth water.
Truy the dry canopy poured forth pure sprngs
and the ceesta wave has come renew brth.
Sacred water ows through the ar from the vaut
but whe Eustorgus was bshop.508
5.1.2.5. Baptistery of an $io%anni at ta& Thecla"
'ilan
Ths baptstery dates to the md-fourth century and may have been
n use durng Ambroses epscopacy (374-397) and at hs cathedra
(ater dedcated to Sta. Theca). Based on ths datng, schoars assume
that t was aso the ste of Augustnes baptsm n 387 (athough not
Ambroses own, whch probaby was n the oder cathedra baptstery).509
505 See Sva Lusuard Sena and Marco Sannazaro, "I battster de compesso
epscopae Manese aa uce dee recent ndagn archeoogche," A(!A( 8 (2001),
647-74; Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #377, 184; Franose Monfrn, "A propos
de Man chrten: Sge pscopa et topographe chrtenne, IVe-VIe sces,"
(A. 39 (1991), 7-46; Bruno Mara Apoon|-Ghett, "Le Cattedra d Mano ed
reatv battster," RivA(, 63 (1987), 28-32; Maro Mrabea Robert, "Battstero d
S. Stefano ae Font," n !l duomo di 3ilano9 'i.ionario storico artistico e religioso
(Man: 1986), 79.
506 As proposed by Gno Travers, Architettura paleocrisitiana milanese (Man:
Varese, 1964), 122.
507 In Latn: "'e fonte baptisterii sancti stefani et aqual quae per columnas venit,"
Ennodus, (arm. 2.149, CSEL 6, 607.
508 Trans., author: -n sine nube pluit sub tectis imbre sereno -t cadi fades pura ministrat
aquas. ProMua marmoribus decurrunt Mumina sacris Atque iterum rorem parturit
ecce lapis. Arida nam liquidos e&undit pergula fontes, -t rursus natis unda superna
venit. Sancta per aetherios emanat limpha recessus, -ustorgi vatis ducta ministerio.
509 Ths baptstery was excavated by Maro Mrabea Robert n the 1960s. See Rstow,
+rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #376, 183-4; Maro Mrabea Robert and Angeo
196 chapter ve
Today vstors access the ste by a star descendng from the rear of
the present cathedra (Sta. Mara Maggore). The orgna budng was
octagona and about 19 m. n dameter. The nteror was have deep
semcrcuar apses (that mght have served as dressng rooms) aternatng
wth rectanguar entrance nches; the anges between these nches
44
are marked by coumns. The budng seems to have been remodeed n
the fth century, probaby accordng to the orgna pan of the earer
structure. The font s smary octagona and more than 5 m. across;
t has two benches around ts nteror (g. 5.8). Athough the structure,
aong wth ts furnshngs, s mosty destroyed, ts appearance
may be magned by comparson to the contemporary mausoeum of
S. Aquno attached to the basca of San Lorenzo n Man.510
Pared, !l battistero ambrosiano di San Aiovanni in +onte (Man: Fabbrca de Duomo
d Mano, 1974); Maro Mrabea Robert, I battstero antco d Mano, A(!A( 6
(1965), 703-7; and Robert, "I battster d Sant Ambrogo," n Agostino a 3ilano9 !l
$attesimo. Agostino nelle terre di Ambrogio J@@?@= aprile BQRSK, ed. Marta Sord et a.
(Paermo: Edzon Augustnus, 1988), 77-83.
510 See Krauthemer, -arly (hristian and $y.antine Architecture, 78-84 for pans
of both budngs.
Fg. 5.8 Baptstery, San Govann at Sta. Theca, Man, md fourth century.
Photo: Author.
A poem of eght coupets, attrbuted to Ambrose, transcrbed n the
eghth century and now preserved n the Vatcan Lbrary s generay
supposed by schoars to have been nscrbed ether on the baptsterys
dome or on the permeter of the font. It echoes the mages found on
the Lateran baptstery archtrave but aso provde mportant evdence
for the theoogca sgncance of the baptsterys (and fonts) octagona
shape:
)ctachorum s4an5c4t5os templum surre#it in usus
octagonus fons est munere dignus eo.
2oc numero decuit sacri baptismatis aulam
surgere, quo populis vera salus rediit.
Luce resurgentis "ri4ist5i, qui claustra resolvit
mortis et e tumulis suscitat e#amines.
(onfessosq4ue5 reos maculoso crimine solvens
fontis puriMui diluit inriguo.
2ic, quincumq4ue5 volent probrosa4e5 crimina vitae
ponere, corda lavent, pectora munda gerant.
2uc veniant alacres9 quamvis tenebrosus adire
audeat, abscedet candidior nivibus.
2uc s4an5c4t5i properent9 non e#pers ullus aquarum
s4an5c4tu5s, in his regnum est consiliumq4ue5 d4e5i,
Aloria iustitiae. 0am quid divinius isto
ut puncto e#iguo culpa cadat populi/
(The eght-sded tempe has rsen for sacred purposes
the eght-sded font s worthy for ths task.
It s seemy that the baptsma ha shoud arse n ths number
by whch true heath has returned to peope
By the ght of the resurrected Chrst, who oosens the bonds of death
and revves the feess from the tombs.
Absovng those who have confessed from ther sordd crme,
he washes them n the ow of the purfyng font.
Let whoever who wshes to shed ther shamefu ves transgressons
wash ther hearts here; et them show ther breasts cean.
Let that one come here qucky; however darkened by sn,
et that one dare to approach, and depart whter than snow.
Let the hoy ones make haste to ths pace; no hoy person s unacquanted
wth
45
these waters. In them s the rue and counse of God.
O gory of |ustce! For what s there more dvne,
than that the peopes gut be abrogated n ony a moment?)511
511 Ambroses authorshp of these nes s controversa (they may aso have been
wrtten by Mans fth-century Bshop Laurentus), athough parae themes can
198 chapter ve
Ths poem not ony emphaszes the symboc purpose of the octagona
desgn of the budng but aso the understandng of baptsm as a death
and rebrth, as we as the return to heath, the washng and absouton
of sn, and the transformaton from the darkness of sn to the ght of
savaton.
5.1.2.6. an $io%anni in Fonte" the (rthodo)
Baptistery" #a%enna
Ths baptstery, erected by Bshop Orso n the eary fth century, st
ooks much as t dd when t was remodeed and decorated by hs successor,
Neon n the 450s. But near the cathedra, ths freestandng
octagona budng has a pan brck exteror and a peaked octagona
ted roof (g. 5.9). Low rounded apses aso wth peaked roofs |ut from
aternatng was. These apses appear to gve the octagona budng
a square base. Eght arge arched wndows, bnd brck arches, and a
few smaer, hgher wndows punctuate the eght sdes of the budng.
Ony one door aows entrance, and t s on the western sde of the
budng.512
The undecorated brck outsde contrasts wth the budngs archtecturay
compex and sumptuousy decorated nteror (g. 5.10). The
oor pan s a centra square wth four semcrcuar apses on the corners
and four shaow rectanguar nches aong the man was. The
apses are bg enough to have been used as dressng rooms, athough no
ndcaton of curtan supports exsts. Each of these eght recesses s set
be found n many of hs catechetca and mystagogca sermons. On ths pont see
Othmar Perer, "Lnscrpton du baptstre de Sante-Thce Man et e De sacraments
de sant Ambrose," n RivA( 27 (1951), 145-66; Franz Dger, "Zur Symbok
des atchrstchen Taufhauses,"A( 4 (1934), 153-87; and Underwood, "The Fountan
of Lfe," 81-2. The text s n the Vatcan Lbrary, Palatino Latin (ode# 833, transcrbed
by an unknown author of the nnth- or eary tenth century. It has been pubshed n
severa epgraphca coectons ncudng the (!L 5.617.2 and the !(8R 2.1, 161 n. 2;
and-most recenty-n the )pera omnia di santAmbrogio. !nni, !scri.ioni, +rammenti,
ed. S. Bantere, et a. (Man: Bboteca Ambrosana, 1994), 145-166.
512 On ths budng see Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #398-9, 189; Spro
Kostof, The )rthodo# $aptistery of Ravenna (Yae: Yae Unversty Press, 1965); Dechmann,
Ravenna 1, 130-151 and 2, 17-47; Anna Mara Iannucc, "Nuove rcerche a
Battstero Neonano," """!!! (orso di cultura sullarte Ravennate e $i.antina (1985),
79-107; R. Trnc, "I battstero Ursano e a sezone aurea," n A(!A( 9.2 (Vatcan
Cty: 1978), 563-90; and Annabee |. Wharton, "Rtua and Reconstructed Meanng:
The Neonan Baptstery n Ravenna," A$ 19.3 (1987), 358-75. On ts mosacs see Itta
Wenryb, "A Tae of two Baptsteres: Roya and Eccesastca Patronage n Ravenna,"
n Assaph9 Studies in Art 2istory 7 (2002), 41-58.
200 chapter ve
Fg. 5.10 Orthodox Baptstery nteror (San Govann n Fonte), Ravenna,
md fth century. Photo: Author.
oh by a arge arch, supported by eght attached coumns. Above these
s an arcade of eght arches, spannng three smaer arches consstng
of coumned nches on ether sde of a wndow. The upper coonnade
46
rses to a arge dome. Amost every surface s covered wth marbe or
gass mosac or stucco reef scupture.
The wdth of the budng from apse to apse s about 19.5 m. The
orgna font was crcuar-or octagona wth a crcuar nteror.
The present octagona whte marbe font s about 3.5 m. across. On
the outsde are eght decoratve sabs of porphyry. A semcrcuar
marbe pupt attached to one sde of the font (possby a ater addton)
woud have aowed the admnstrator of the rte to address the
catechumens from a rased patform.513
The decoraton s dvded nto ve zones. The owest has the arge
arched apses and shaow rectanguar nches. The apses, now bare of
decoraton, contan an atar and a arge urn, nether of whch were
513 The current font may be a medeva renovaton of the fth century font, whch
Kostof beeves had a crcuar nteror. Kostof does, however, beeve that the pupt
may have been orgna. See )rthodo# $aptistery, 140.
Fg. 5.11 Orthodox Baptstery deta of apse mosac (San Govann n Fonte),
Ravenna, md fth century. Photo: Author.
202 chapter ve
orgna furnshngs (g. 5.11).514 The rectanguar nches, however, are
covered by decoratve opus secte. The arches over each of the nches
are decorated wth a mosac and geometrc pattern and eght portrats
of teachers or prophets surrounded by scrong acanthus vnes. Ths
area, wth the excepton of the ova portrat medaons, has been heavy
restored. The gures may ether be specc persons or personcatons
of partcuar church doctrnes.515
Over the four apses are mosac nscrptons that probaby refer to
mssng apse mosacs. Indvdua monograms, possby referrng to
Bshops Neon, Peter Chrysoogos, and Maxmnan, appear at the center
of the nscrptons.516 Restored by Garrucc n the nneteenth century,
they now read:
1. *+ A'B,-AN ,PE# 'A#E PET#( 'E#$ENT* 'AN,'
CAP*T ET *,BENTE D('N( VENT, CEAV*T
(|esus, wakng on the water, grasped Peters hand as he was snkng,
and the wnd ceased at the Lords command |a paraphrase of Matthew
14.29-33|.)
2. BEAT* .,(#,' #E'*AE ,NT *N*.,*TATE ET .,(#,'
TECTA ,NT PECCATA BEAT, V*# $,* N(N *'P,TAV*T
D('*N, PECCAT,'
(Bessed are those whose transgressons are forgven, and whose sns
are covered; bessed s the man to whom the Lord mputes no nquty
|Psam 32.1-2|.)
3. 8$! '-P)S8!T !2S 6-ST!3-0TA S8A -T 3!S!T AT8A3 !0
P-L6-3 -T LA6!T P-'-S '!S(!P8L)R83 S8)R83
(Then |esus ad asde hs garments and poured water nto a basn and
washed hs dscpes feet |a paraphrase of |ohn 13.4-5|.)
4. !0 L)(83 PAS(8A- !$! 3- ()0L)(A6!T S8P-R AT8A
R-+L-(T!)0!S -')(A6!T 3-.
(He set me here, where there are pastures. He ed me besde shnng
waters |from Psam 23.2|.)517
47
514 On these ob|ects see Kostof, )rthodo# $aptistery, appendx I, 139-43. The urn
may have served as a font from the md-sxteenth to the md-eghteenth century.
515 Four of these gures have beards and seem oder than the others. They a wear
tuncs and paa and hod books of scros. Theores about ther denttes ncude ther
beng apostes, prophets, and fathers of the church. See dscusson n Kostof, )rthodo#
$aptistery, 63; and Peter Van Dae, "Purpose and Functon of Decoraton-Schemes
n Eary Chrstan Baptsteres," n +ides Sacramenti, Sacramentum +idei9 Studies in
2onor of Pieter Smulders, ed. Hans |rg et a. (Assen: Van Gorcum, 1981), 113-35.
516 Dscusson of these monograms n Kostof, )rthodo# $aptistery, 18-19.
517 See Garrucc, Storia, 4.37. The texts ncuded here are as they appear on the four
arches foowng the orderng of Kostof, )rthodo# $aptistery, 58-62.
An upper arcade of twenty-four sma arches wthn eght arger ones
consttutes the next zone. Fankng the eght arched wndows are sxteen
nches contanng scupted stucco gures (possby the four Ma|or
and the tweve Mnor Prophets) wth aternatng semcrcuar and tranguar
pedments, each of whch hods a scaop she. Above tweve
of these pedments, pars of anmas ank a basket or a vase. Above
four are representatons of standard Chrstan themes: |onah and the
whae, Chrst crushng the on and the serpent underfoot, Chrst gvng
the aw (traditio legis), and Dane and the ons (g. 5.12). The
tympana spanned by the eght bg arches are ed wth vne eaves and
acanthus scros, deer ankng urns of water, and peacocks.
Three concentrc bands that make up the dome mosac form the
top three zones. The owest band s dvded nto eght trpartte structures,
separated by custers of owers. Acanthus eaves rse from the
tranguar pendentves of the ower arches. Four of these trpartte
structures show two chars wth |eweed wreaths on ther seats on ether
sde of an atar wth an open gospe book (Matthew, Mark, Luke or
Fg. 5.12 Orthodox Baptstery, deta of nteror, stucco wth apostes (or
prophets) and Dane. Photo: Author.
204 chapter ve
|ohn). The other four depct parapets on ether sde of a gem-studded
throne that s draped wth a purpe coak and surmounted by a cross.
Two processons of sx apostes the next band. The processons
are ed by Peter and Pau and the apostes a carry |eweed wreaths or
crowns. Ther names appear n god over ther shouders to dentfy
them and they are separated from one another by candeabra. Above
ther heads, a ooped drapery hangs from an nner band ed wth an
egg and dart motf.518 The two processons meet under |esus feet n
the centra medaon, whch consttutes the fth zone. Here Chrsts
baptsm by |ohn s depcted on a god background. Ths mage, whch
ncudes the descendng dove and the personed |ordan Rver has
been dscussed above (g. 3.10).519
5.1.2.7. anta 'aria in Cosmedin" the Arian Baptistery"
#a%enna
Ths baptstery was but at the end of the fth or the begnnng of
the sxth century to serve the Gothc Aran communty of Ravenna
durng the regn of Kng Theodorc (493-526). Athough somewhat
smaer than the Orthodox Baptstery of Neon, t was aso but on
an octagona pan but constructed to have upper and ower sectons
(g. 5.13).520 Lke the Orthodox Baptstery ts ted roof has eght segments
48
that cover an nteror dome (see pan, g. 5.14). Each wa
of the upper octagon has an arched wndow that ghts the nteror,
whereas the darker ower secton was orgnay covered wth a sevensded
annuar ambuatory wth a vauted ceng. The eghth sde of ths
ambuatory was eft open for an eastern apse that provded entrances
nto the passageway tsef. Ony traces of ths structure survve
(evdence of arge masonry arches), aong wth three addtona, smaer
apses that orgnay |utted nto the ambuatory space.
Accordng to Dechmann, the ambuatory must have served two
purposes: the northwestern sde as an entrance to the baptsma ha
proper and the two rectanguar rooms on the northeastern and southeastern
was (ad|acent to the apse) for preparatory rtes (catechess,
518 On ths conography see |osef Engemann, "De Hudgung der Aposte m
Mosak des ravennatschen Orthodoxenbaptsterums," n +estscrift fGr 0i%olaus
2immelmann9 $eitrUge .ur !%onographie und 2ermeneuti%, ed. Can von Hans-Urch
et a. (Manz a. Rhen: P. von Zabern, 1989), 481-89; and Kostof, )rthodo# $aptistery,
91-2.
519 See Chap. 3, pp. 108-10.
520 Rstow, +rGhchrisliche $aptisterien, #397, 188; T. Bruno, "I battstero deg Aran
a Ravenna," +eli# Ravenna, ser. 3, vo. 37 (1963), 5h.
Fg. 5.13 Aran Baptstery exteror (Santa Mara n Cosmedn), Ravenna,
ate fth century. Photo: Author.
Fg. 5.14 Aran Baptstery pan, Ravenna, ate fth century. Drawng, based
on pan n Dechmann, Ravenna, 2.a., pan 15.
206 chapter ve
exorcsm, or dsrobng) or concudng rtes (consgnaton or vestng).521
Incudng the apses and ambuatory, the orgna budng woud have
been about 17 m. across. The orgna font no onger survves; probaby
havng been removed after the baptstery was rededcated as an
orthodox oratory n the md-sxth century.
Of the orgna marbe, stucco, and mosac decoraton, ony the
dome mosac survves. Obvousy modeed after the dome mosac of
the Orthodox Baptstery, t s smaer, and what remans s somewhat
smper n stye, wth ony one wde band around the centra medaon
(g. 3.11).522 Ths crcuar band kewse bears a representaton of
processng apostes. In ths nstance pam trees separate the ndvdua
gures. The two processons (kewse ed by Peter and Pau) meet at
an empty throne surmounted by purpe robe and cross, paced |ust
above |esus head n the centra medaon. Except for Peter (hodng
a key) and Pau (hodng a scro), the apostes carry |eweed crowns
and, unke the apostes n the Orthodox Baptstery, have haos. The
scene woud have been paced drecty above the baptsma font n the
center of the space.523
5.1.2.8. Albenga $aptistery, Liguria
The fth- (possby sxth-) century baptstery n Abenga, on the Itaan
Rvera, has an octagona core atop a decagona base. Its upper
octagon ncorporates broad bnd arches that surround smaer arched
wndows (g. 5.15). Rather than an ambuatory, the ower decagons
thck nteror wa s hoowed out to form eght nches of aternatng
squares and sem-crces, deep enough to have served as dressng
rooms. Cornthan coumns stand at the corners of these nches.
49
Wndows n aternate was covered by decoratve marbe gree brng
ght nto ths ower area that s about 14.5 m. across.524
521 Dechmann, Ravenna 1, 209 and 2, 253.
522 The orgna decoraton has been ost, but excavators n the eary twenteth century
found evdence of poychromed stucco decoraton and a huge amount of mosac
tesserae to suggest the orgna was may have been as rchy adorned as those of the
Orthodox Baptstery. See G. Geroa, "I restauro de battstero Arano d Ravenna," n
Studien .ur ,unst des )stens. 7osef Str.ygo1s%i .um sech.igsten Aeburtstage von seinen
+reunden und SchGlern, ed. Henrch Gck (Venna: Heerau, Avaun-Verag, 1923),
112-29, esp. 122.
523 See Chap. 3, p. 111.
524 See Gudo Marcenaro, !l battistero monumentale di Albenga9 sedici secoli di storia*
con guida in italiano, francese, inglese, e tedesco (Abenga: Isttuto nternazonae
d stud gur, 2006); Aessandra Frondon, "Recent restaur e ndagn a battstero
Fg. 5.15 Baptstery exteror, Abenga, Lgura, sxth century. Photo: Author.
The centered octagona font has a surroundng parapet wth spurs that
coud have orgnay carred coumns that supported a cborum. Its
dameter s about 1.5 m. at the we and 2.25 m. at the top. It s about
1 m. deep. and was accessed by an nteror step. A sma basn to the
sde of the font-n the northeast nche-mght have been used for
foot washng-a part of the baptsma rtua n northern Itay, Span,
and North Afrca. The vaut of one of the four rectanguar nches contans
a mosac that shows a trped ch-rho monogram anked by an
apha and omega n god upon a bue ground. Surroundng ths desgn
are a red cross nsde a sma orb, tweve doves (possby representng
|esus and the tweve dscpes), and two eds of whte stars. Above
and beow the vaut are decoratve ora borders bands and garands,
d Abenga," A(!A( 8 (2001), 845-65; Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien #326, 172;
Francsca Paars, "Acune consderazon sue anfore de battstero d Abenga,"
Riv. Stud. Liguri 53 (1987), 269-306; Maro Marcenaro, !l battistero paleocristiano
di Albenga. Le origini del cristianesimo nella Liguria 3arittima (Genoa: Fondazone
Cassa d Rsparmo de Genova e Impera, 1993); Marcenaro, "I battstero d Abenga:
stora d un restauro," Riv. Stud. Liguri 53 (1987), 179-242; Vaera Scarretta, !l battistero
di Albenga (Ravenna: Longo Edtore, 1977).
208 chapter ve
Fg. 5.16 Baptstery mosac, Abenga, Lgura, sxth century. Photo: Scaa/
Art Resource, NY.
an nscrpton, and a scene of two sheep on ether sde of a |eweed
cross (g. 5.16).525
The partay survvng, abbrevated, and probaby ncorrecty
restored nscrpton s dmcut to nterpret. The most key transcrpton
s: ". . . 0A38S T8)R83 2!( R-L!T8!A- S80T (". . , name of
those whose recs these are"). Beow are names (n the gentve form)
of sants whose remans may have been nstaed n the baptstery:
"ST-+A0! 4!5S !2)A00!S LA8R-0T! 0A6)R!S PR)TAS! . . . -6A0A-L
. . . +-L!(!S A-R6AS!."
5.1.3. $aptisteries at Primuliacum JAaulK According to Paulinus of 0ola
In the eary fth century (ca. 402), Paunus of Noa descrbed a baptstery
but by hs frend Supcus Severus. Paunus and hs frend
had been n reguar correspondence regardng the neary smutaneous
budng of ther respectve eccesastca compexes as Noa and Prmuacum.
526 Accordng to ther etters, the two shared constructon
50
pans, drawngs, and texts that coud be nscrbed n the budngs.
Paunus notes that Severus had surpassed hm by budng a baptstery
between two bascas at Prmuacum and professes mortcaton that
Severus had chosen to put a portrat of hmsef aong wth Martn of
Tours n hs baptstery. He nevertheess compes wth Severus request
that he provde poems to accompany the portrats. The two poems
he wrote for ths purpose reect on the meanng of baptsm and (n
genera) comment on the archtectura reatonshp of the baptstery
to the two ad|acent churches-a snge womb between the two breasts
of the mother church.527 The text that Paunus ntended to be set over
the muras of hmsef and St. Martn, ncorporated magery that paraes
the nscrpton n the Lateran baptstery n Rome (see above):
Ths font begets sous n need of restoraton,
t brngs forth vng water by dvne ght.
525 See Nco Paamarn, "Smbosmo e gematra ne mosaco de battstero d
Abenga," Riv. Stud. Liguri 53, 1987, 243-256; Maro Marcenaro, "Afredo dAndrade
e mosaco de battstero d Abenga," RivA( (1987), 203-243.
526 Paunus, -p. 32. On Paunus own baptstery at Noa/Cmte (and the poem
he wrote for ts dedcaton) see beow, Chap. 6, p. 270. Aso see Rudof C. Godschmdt,
Paulinus (hurches at 0ola (Amsterdam: N.V. Noord-Hoandsche Utgevers
Maatschapp|, 1940), 35-47; Denns Trout, Paulinus of 0ola (Berkeey: Unversty of
Caforna Press, 1999), 242-43.
527 Paunus, -p. 32.5.
210 chapter ve
The Hoy Sprt descends from heaven nto ths rver
and marres the water n the sacred, heaveny font.
The water receves God nto tsef and by ths ferte ud
a sacred progeny s brought forth from an eterna seed.
Gods compasson s wonderfu; the snner s punged nto the ow
And soon emerges |usted by the water.
Thus a person undergoes a bessed death and brth;
dyng to earthy thngs and beng born to eterna thngs.
Gut s ost, but fe returns; the od Adam pershes,
And the new s born for the eterna kngdom.
(cont.)
From the font, the bshop-as parent-eads babes
babes, snowy-whte n body, heart, and garb.
And crcng the novce ambs around to the festve atar,
the prest ntates ther tender mouths wth heath-gvng food.
Here the oder generaton of the communty re|oces
together n a nosy throng.
And the fod beats aong n ther new chorus:
"Aeua!".528
5.1.4. Baptisteries in North Africa
/&0&1&2& Jucundu! C"#$%& B#$'('%)*+ Su,%'u&# -S.%('&#/+
Tun((#
Ths sma chape most key served as the baptstery for ths North
Afrcan ctys fth-century cathedra. It appears to have been a freestandng
rectanguar budng set nsde a perstye court that provded
an exteror ambuatory covered wth geometrcay patterned
mosacs,and accessed by doors on three sdes (north, south, and west)
51
(g. 5.17). An apse pro|ects on the eastern sde and s decorated wth
a mosac depctng an urn sproutng wth roses.
Insde, four coumns supported a cborum over the font. The font
tsef took up most of the space n ths fary arge room (8 m. 9.5 m.).
The font-generay descrbed as p-shaped-s an eongated, obed
form, possby meant to aude to the brth cana and the mothers
vuva. Steps on the southern and northern ends provded the entrance
and ext for the canddates.529
528 Paunus, -p. 32.5, trans. author (CSEL 29: 279-80).
529 See Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #740, 263; No Duva, $asiliques chrItiennes
dAfrique du 0ord (Pars: Insttut dtudes Augustnennes, 1992), vo. 1, 106-
33 and 296-7; and dem wth Franose Baratte, Les ruines de Sufetula9 Sbeitla (Tuns:
Socet Tunsenne de Dhuson, 1973), 44-48.
Fg. 5.17 Baptstery of |ucundus, Sufetua (Sbeta), Tunsa, fourth-fth
The tomb of Bshop |ucundus was ncorporated nto the baptstery
at some pont n the ate fth or sxth century, based on an nscrpton
n the oor that credts the dscovery of hs body to a certan
ater bshop named Amacus: 2!( !06-0TA -ST 'P S(! !8(80'!
-PS( P-R !0T8!S!T!)0 A3A(! -PS(P! (Here e the remans of
santed Bshop |ucundus, accordng to the search conducted by Bshop
Amacus).530 A coumn nserted nto the basn may have contaned
recs suggestng that at the pont of dscovery the baptstery was turned
nto a martyrum and no onger used for baptsms.
/&2&1&0& 0('#&(! B#$'('%)*+ Su,%'u&# -S.%('&#/+ Tun((#
But between two antechambers drecty behnd the apse of the new
(sxth-century) basca ad|acent to the oder cathedra of Sufetua, ths
530 |ucundus may have been martyred by the Vandas. He s sted as representng
Sufetua at the Counc of Carthage n 416. On North Afrcan baptsteres n genera
see Robn M. |ensen, "Baptsma Rtes and Archtecture," Peoples 2istory of (hristianity,
vol. @9 Late Ancient (hristianity, ed. Vrgna Burrus (Mnneapos: Fortress Press,
2005), 117-144.
212 chapter ve
baptsterys font repcates the p-shaped desgn of the |ucundus chape
baptstery descrbed mmedatey above (g. 5.17). An apse pro|ects
from ts southwest wa (mrrorng the man apse of the basca).
Canddates woud have entered and exted the font va steps on the
eastern and western ends n ths nstance. Coumn bases surroundng
the font ndcate that a stone canopy was set over t (g. 5.18).531
The font s covered wth a mosac desgn (heavy restored) that
ncudes a ora and geometrc border, roses, sma crosses, and an
apha and omega hangng from a chrstogram at the base of the fonts
we.
On the fonts edge an nscrpton appears n back etters separated
by red nes: 6!TAL!S -T (AR'-LA 6)T83 S0 (Vtas and Cardea
fued ther vow).
531 See Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien #741, 263; Duva, $asiliques chrItiennes,
vo. 1, 149, 278-97.
Fg. 5.18 Baptstery, Vtas Baptstery, Sufetua (Sbeta), Tunsa, sxth-century.
Photo: Author.
52
5.1.4.3. $aptistery of ,Ilibia, Tunisia
Ths sxth-century font, dscovered n 1949 by Chrstan Courtos,
s now n the rst gaery of Tuns Bardo Museum. It comes from
the vage of Kba on Tunsas Cape Bon pennsua where t was
attached to the ancent Basca of Cupea (g. 5.19).532
The Basca of Cupea was but n two phases. The sxth-century
baptstery was constructed durng the second phase on the ste of an
earer, fourth-century font. Sma apsed chapes (or martyra) were
but out from the sde ases at the same tme. The baptsma chamber,
532 Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #728, 260; Chrstan Courtos, "Sur un baptstre
dcouvert dans a rgon de Kba," ,arthago 6 (1955), 97-127; |ean Cntas
and No Duva, "Lgse du Prtre Fx (regon de Kba)," ,arthago 9 (1998),
157-265.
For genera dscusson of the Vanda era n Roman Afrca and ts treatment of oca
Chrstan communtes see |-P. Brsson, Autonomisme et (hristianisme dans lAfrique
romaine de Septime SIvHre L linvasion vandale (Pars: Boccard, 1958); and W.H.C.
Frend, The 'onatist (hurch (Oxford: Carendon Press, 1952).
Fg. 5.19 Baptstery, Basca of Cupea, Kba, Tunsa, sxth century (now
n the Bardo Museum, Tuns). Photo: Author.
214 chapter ve
part of a rectanguar room that encosed the bascas west-orented
apse, was accessed through one openng from the apse and one from
one of the atera chapes n the south ase. The font and the oor were
both covered wth mosac.
The ater, four-obed font s covered wth poychrome stone mosac
and set nto a smar, mosac covered square pavement. Incudng the
surround t s |ust over 2.2 m. n dameter, and ts we s sghty over
1 m. deep. Based on the evdence of footngs for supportng coumns
t probaby was covered by a cborum. At ts wdest, the font s easy
deep enough to aow for a standng canddate to be thoroughy
drenched by scoopng water from the basn over the head. The nteror
of the font tsef has three steps or shaow seats that woud aow
a recpent to step down and even to st whe water was beng poured
from above.533
533 On the matter of sttng durng baptsm see above dscusson, Chap. 4, p. 138.
Fg. 5.20 Baptstery deta, Basca of Cupea, Kba, Tunsa, sxth century.
Photo: Author.
Around the edge of the font n four parts, each beneath one of the
obes, s the foowng nscrpton:
S() $-AT!SS!3) (EPR!A0) -P!S()P) A0T!ST-(83 S()
A'-L+!) PR-S$!T-R) 28!8S(- 80!TAT!S
AT8!0!8S -T !8L!A0A -!8S (83 6!LLA -T '-)ARAT!AS
PR)L!$8S
T-S-LL8435 A-T8)R! P-R-00! P)S8R80T
(Dedcated to most bessed hoy Sant Cypran, Bshop and Hgh Prest
wth the hoy Adephus, a prest n unty wth hm.
Aqunus and |uana, hs |wfe|, wth ther househod and-thanks be
to God-ther chdren,
but these mosacs for the pacd waters of eternty).534
Ths dedcatory nscrpton not ony named the donors (Aqunus,
|uana, aong wth ther chdren) but aso the sants they wshed to
53
honor by ther gft (Cypran and Adephus). Because of the ttes gven
to Cypran (sant, bshop, and hgh prest), the thrd-century martyr
s key ntended here. The prest Adephus may have been a oca
cerc (possby martyred by Aran Vandas). Even more than n the
converted baptstery/shrne of |ucundus at Sufetua, here baptsm s
drecty assocated wth the cut of the martyrs.535
Another nscrpton at the man entrance to the font (a step eadng
up to the pavement surroundng the font) reads: "PA" +!'-S (AR!TAS"
(peace, fath, and ove). The substtuton (and prortzng) of the
word "pa#" for "spes" n the st of vrtues n 1 Cor 13.13 argues for ts
sgncance n ths baptsma context.536
The fonts mosacs are unusua and beautfu.537 At the pavement
eve, the decoraton conssts of a geometrc border nsde of whch
534 An aternatve transaton of the thrd ne mght be: Aqunus and |uana (hs
wfe), and Va and Deogratas, ther chdren. See Yvette Duva, Loca sanctorum Africae.
Le culte des martyrs en Afrique du !6e au 6!!e siHcle, vo. 1 (Rome, 1982), 54-58.
535 See dscusson beow, Chap. 6, pp. 240-2.
536 It may announce the churchs unty wth one or other of the competng Afrcan
communons (cathoc, Donatst, and Aran), athough the reatvey ate date of the
font makes ths suggeston a bt weak. However, the reference to Cypran n the dedcatory
nscrpton supports ths possbty because Cypran was nvoked as champon
by both Donatsts and cathocs aganst the other group.
537 On the nterpretaton of the conography Erc Paazzo, "Iconographe et turge:
a mosaque du baptstre de Kba (Tunse)" AL1 34 (1992), 102-120; Pau-
Abert Fvrer and C. Ponssot, "Les cerges et abee," (A 10 (Pars, 1959), 146-156;
Othmar Perer, "De Taufsymbok der ver |ahreszeten m Baptsterum be Keba,"
7A( 1 (1964), 282-90; Pau-Abert Fvrer, "Labee et a seche," RivA( 60 (1984),
277-92. Much dscussed, n partcuar, was a sma sea creature orgnay nterpreted
216 chapter ve
are scrong grape vnes growng out of four vases (canthari) at the
corners. A brd marks the center of each of the four sdes. Each of
the fonts four obes has specc mages, one on the surface and three
nsde, correspondng to the three nteror steps.
The top pavement bears ony smpe rosette-ke or crce-n-square
desgns aong wth the four-part nscrpton (above). The rst step
down nto the nteror depcts four ob|ects: a dove emttng some substance
(breath, o, water?) from ts beak (g. 5.20),538 a cross beneath
a canopy, a box-ke ob|ect wth an opened d (a requary, Noahs ark,
the Ark of the Covenant? |g. 6.7|), and a brmmng chace. These
ob|ects are surrounded by brds, owers, chrstograms, and candes.
Separated from the rst eve by a geometrc border, the second eve
functons as a seat or step as we. Ths regster aso has conventona
motfs of sea fe and four trees representng the four seasons: a date
pam (sprng), ove tree (wnter), g tree (summer), and another
frut bearng tree (autumn). A chrstogram wth an apha and omega
appears n the we.
5.1.4.4. $aptistery of $ir +touha, (arthage, Tunisia
The recenty re-dscovered (and re-excavated) Chrstan basca compex
at Br Ftouha was but n dherent phases, probaby begnnng n
the ate fourth or eary-fth century and endng n the md-sxth (eary
Byzantne, ca. 541-50).539
Excavatons n the ate nneteenth century uncovered a mosac-paved
octagona basn, a tomb contanng the remans of severa ndvduas
54
and dedcatory nscrptons, and (somewhat to the east) a Byzantneera
mosac near a curved porton of a arge sem-crcuar apse that
depcted a stag and doe kneeng to drnk under a pam tree (g. 5.21).
In the ate 1920s, archaeoogsts returned to the area contanng the
octagona basn and dscovered that t had been connected to a ate
as a bee and reated (by Paazzo n partcuar) to the candes n the font-makng
them to be pascha candes and the bee a reference to the Exutet, sung durng the
Easter turgy.
538 See dscusson of ths conography above, Chap. 3, pp. 112-15.
539 Ths church, orgnay excavated by Pre Deattre n 1880 and then ater by Pau
Gauker, and recenty re-opened and further studed by a team of Amercan archaeoogy
students under the drecton of Susan Stevens. See Susan T. Stevens, Angea
V. Kanows and Hans vanderLeest, $ir +touha9 A Pilgrimage (hurch (omple# at
(arthage, |RS Suppementary Seres 59 (Portsmouth, 2005).
fourth- or eary fth-century tr-conch funerary chape, accessed by
two entrances and whch contaned ten Chrstan sarcophag bured n
two ayers, most of them dated to the md-fth century.
When archaeoogsts returned to the ste n the 1990s, they were
abe to reconstruct a arge Byzantne-era basca that ay somewhat
further to the east and whch seems to have been but n a snge
phase. The reatonshp of ths basca wth the tr-conch funerary
chape s uncear, athough a magnetometer survey suggested that a
substanta cemetery may e between the two structures.
The basca was an enormous three-ased edce (approxmatey
37 m. 18 m.), entered through an attached nonagona, centrazed,
and coonnaded budng that was ater taken over by buras because
t contaned as many as eeven graves cut nto ts mosac oor. Behnd
the apse, an ambuatory ed nto a huge perstye courtyard paved wth
mosac depctons of brds, crosses, and deer seekng vng water. Ths
ha served as the antechamber to an enormous round baptstery at
the center of whch ay a four-obed font. The font had three nteror
steps descendng nto a we about 3 m. n dameter. Archaeoogsts
dscovered a dran at the bottom of the we was used to channe the
sancted water to a soak-away tank. Because no ppng system was
found to brng water to the font, t may have been ed by handcarred
buckets of water.
Schoars have specuated-abet wthout decsve physca evdence-
that ths arge cemetery/pgrmage church at Br Ftouha may
be been one of the two man shrnes of St. Cypran (the 3ensa (ypriani)
at Carthage. The ocae seems possbe, based on the account of
Fg. 5.21 Ambuatory mosac, Baptstery of Br Ftouha, Carthage, Tunsa, ate
fourth or eary fth century (now n the Bardo Museum). Photo: Author.
218 chapter ve
Cyprans martyrdom n the Acta (ypriani but the ack of pre fthcentury
Chrstan remans mtates aganst such dentcaton.540
5.1.4.5. $aptistery of $e%alta Jnear site of Leptis 3inorK, Tunisia
Dscovered by archaeoogsts n 1993 at the ste of a ste of a rura
basca, ths eght-obed baptsma font was covered wth remarkaby
ntact mosacs depctng dherent knds of brds, acanthus vnes, owers,
and frut. The basn s set nto a square of about 5 5 m., ts eght
obes aternatng between square and round. Each obe contans two
55
steps down nto the font. On the surface of the rst step s a scaop
she desgn. Throughout are geometrc and ora borders and decoratons.
The we of the font s paved wth a |eweed Greek cross and an
apha and omega.
A p sghty rased from the border was nscrbed wth a text based
on the angec announcement from the Gospe of Luke (2.14): AL)R!A
!0 -"(-LS!S '-)5 V -T !0 T-RRA PA" 425)3!0!$8S $)0- V
6)L834TAT!S L5A8'A38S T4-5 (Gory to God n the hghest and
on earth peace to those of good w. We prase you).541
Archeoogsts date ths font to the Byzantne era, perhaps the seventh
century.
5.1.4.6. $aptistery of La S%hira, near AabHs, Tunisia
Ths sxth-century baptstery was attached to the cathedra of La
Skhra-a square room behnd the church (to the southwest of the
apse) wth two rows of coumns, creatng a center nave and two ases.
The center ase contans the font and (at the rear wa) empacements
for a sma atar.542
540 See the dscusson of ths n |ensen, "Dnng wth the Dead," 136-40. Stevens
does not beeve that Br Ftouha s the Mensa Cypran for the reasons stated above, as
we as the ack of evdence for of a proconsuar paace n the area (the ste of Cyprans
martyrdom). See the Acta Proconsularia Sancti (ypriani, text and trans. Herbert
Musuro, The Acts of the (hristian 3artyrs (London: Oxford Unversty Press, 1972),
168-75. Accordng to the Acta, Cypran was taken to the ager (ed) of Sextus, outsde
the cty was, where the proconsu had retred to recover hs heath, and t was n
ths pace that he was executed. See aso Lane. Ennab, (arthage 8ne 3Itropole
(hrItienne, (Pars: CNRS dtons, 1997), 135.
541 Ne|b Ben Lazreg and No Duva, "Le baptstre de Bekata," n (arthage (1995),
307.
542 Rstow, +rGhchristiche $aptisterien, #731, 261; Mohamed Fendr, $asiliques
chrItiennes de La S%hira (Pars: Presses Unverstares de France, 1961), No Duva,
"Lvque et a cathdra en Afrque du nord," A(!A( 11 (1989), g. 13 (366), 398.
Fg. 5.22 Baptstery mosac, La Skhra, near Gabs, Tunsa, sxth century.
Photo: Author.
Fg. 5.23 Baptstery mosac, La Skhra, near Gabs, Tunsa, sxth century.
Photo: Author.
The font s a crucform basn, set nto an octagona surround that tsef
s set onto a square. At each corner of the square archaeoogsts noted
footngs for coumns, ndcatng that a cborum stood over t.
Mosacs from the pavement of ths font are today n the Museum
of Sfax. One pane shows two deer approachng a vase from whch
sprouts a tree of fe (g. 5.22) and another a seres of gemmed crosses
set wthn coumned arches. Lamps hang from the arms of the crosses
and brds the arches above the crosses (g. 5.23).
220 chapter ve
5.1.4.7. )ued Ramel $aptistery, near Waghouan, Tunisia
At the end of the nneteenth century, archaeoogsts found a twochambered,
free-standng baptsma chamber (5 4.2 m.), possby
datng to the sxth century, sghty to the north and parae to a basca
at ths ste. The west room contaned a crucform font wth a square
basn n the center and equatera round-ended arms. Ths font was
about 2.5 m. ong by .6 meters wde, and a tte over 1 m. deep. The
north arm was cut oh from the other three wth a vertca marbe sab,
56
possby to create a dry chamber for a deacon or presbyter to stand
n whe pourng water or assstng the canddate.543 The remans of
four coumn bases ndcate the orgna exstence of a cborum over
the font.544
The mosac oor of the room wth the font depcts two deer comng
to drnk from the four rvers of Paradse (on the west), four pam
trees extendng from the east/west arms of the crucform font, and two
peacocks ankng a chace (to the east). A dove n ght decorated the
oor of the fonts we.
The east room, possby used for the post-baptsma rtes of handayng
or anontng had a mosac oor as we, has n ths nstance, a
geometrc border that encoses four roundes, each wth a quatrefo
desgn havng a brd at ts center.
/&2&1&3& H#11#1 L(, -N#)2/ B#$'('%)*+ Tun((#
A century ago, archaeoogsts found ths sxth-century baptsma font
about 100 meters to the south of the famous Hammam Lf synagogue
some of whose mosacs can be seen today n the Brookyn Museum.545
The font was about 4 m. across (ncudng surround) and ts we
was 1.6 meters wde and 1.25 m. deep. It had seven obes (one of them
square n shape). Each obe had a snge step down nto a arge crcuar
basn. Scaop she desgns covered sx of the surfaces of these steps
whe the seventh had a sh desgn. The nteror was of the basn were
aso decorated wth |eweed crosses, pam trees, and ether owers or
543 A smar arrangement was put nto pace n another crucform font at the baptstery
of Bua Rega-n ths case two marbe sabs separated the cross arms from the
centra, rectanguar basn. See Duva, "Le Dosser," 207-34. Compare wth the cosng
oh of the ong axs of the crucform font at the Basca of St. |ohn n Ephesus.
544 Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #736, 262; Chrstan Courtos, "Sur un baptstre
dcouvert dans a rgon de Kba," ,arthago 6 (1955), 97-127. g. 4.4.
545 See Edward Beberg, Tree of Paradise9 7e1ish 3osaics from the Roman -mpire
(New York: Brookyn Museum, 2005).
Fg. 5.24 Baptstery, Hammam Lf (Naro), Tunsa, sxth century. Drawng
based on gure n Berry, -arly (hristian $aptisteries, 47.
222 chapter ve
sea creatures. A Greek cross covered the oor of the basn wth an
apha and omega n the upper two quadrants (g. 5.24).546
5.1.4.9. $aptistery of 2enchir So%rine, 0ear Lamta JLeptis 3inorK,
Tunisia
A we-preserved square baptstery (approx. 4.5 4.5 m.) es drecty
behnd the apse of an ancent, sxth-century church n ths ste not
far from ancent Roman Lepts Mnor. The font s essentay round
n shape, wth three obes on each sde (the mdde one sghty arger
than the other two). Each obe has a sma mosac Latn cross as decoraton.
Ths basc round shape, however, s expanded by two opposng
sets of stars that aow access nto and out of the basn. Ths resutng
form s somethng ke the baptsteres of Sufetua (gs. 5.17-18) but
has paraes aso at Sfax and Sd Mansour.547 Ths structure was set
nto a smaer square space (2.3 2.3 m.) that had a shaow wa that
bore mosac nscrptons that, apart from the word +)0T-S on one
57
wa and $APT!S3A on another.548
The surroundng mosac pavement was dvded nto severa panes.
The one nearest the entrance and now n the museum of Lamta depcts
two sheep on ether sde of a Latn cross. An apha and omega e
drecty beow the crosss arms. Fsh, brds, and scattered roses the
rest of the ed (g. 5.25). On the opposte sde two deer appear n
pace of the sheep. The other pavements depcted custers of grapes
and vases, as we as geometrc and ora desgns.
5.2. 'iscussion9 Ta#onomy of Structures, +ont Shapes, and Placement
The above st consders ony baptsteres wth st-exstng nteror
decoraton and nscrptons and, wth the excepton of the Dura Europos
baptstery, s mted to extant baptsma structures n Itay and
Tunsa. Despte ths mtaton, t ncudes a varety of budng and
font shapes as we as ther conography and symboc sgncance.549
546 Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #706, 255; Courtos, "Sur un baptstre,"
g. 7.
547 See the comparatve pans n Courtos, "Sur un baptstre," g. 6.
548 Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #717, 257: Fath Be|aou, "Dcouvertes
darchooge chrtenne en Tunse," A(!A( 11 (1989), 1937-48.
549 Other baptsteres (not ncuded n the above ndvdua descrptons) are
ncuded n the foowng dscusson and occasonay w be cted n the dscusson
Some baptsteres are free-standng and some attached, and ther pacements
reatve to the man church are consstent wth eary Chrstan
baptsteres generay. The foowng s a categorzaton of the fonts
dscussed above accordng these varatons.
/&0&2& A''#c"%d 0%)u F)%%'#nd(n3 B#$'('%)(%4
P&#c%1%n' R%&#'(5%
'2 B#(&(c# H#&&
The earest excavated baptstery (Dura Europos-g. 5.1) was created
by renovatng one room of a prvate home. Ths room had an entrance
oh the centra courtyard and communcated wth another room that
tsef ed nto the man assemby space, as we as out nto the centra
courtyard. Ths arrangement may have been desgned to aow for prvacy
of the rte and a transtona space for dsrobng and redressng
neophytes. The baptstery at Napes (S. Govann n Fonte) s a rectanguar
room as we, athough t sts behnd (and to the rght) of the
apse of the basca ha.
Most North Afrcan churches have baptsma chambers that were
accessed through a transtona space or a seres of communcatng
rooms. Ths conguraton occurs at Sufetua (Vtas), Br Ftouha, La
Skhra, and Henchr Sokrne, as we as at both churches at Tmgad
and Tpasa n present day Agera.550 The ancary rooms may have
served as paces for pre-baptsma rtes (e.g., exorcsm, renuncaton
of symbosm beow, Chap. 6. These ncude baptsteres n Agera and Syra, as we
as the Butrnt Baptstery n Abana.
550 See Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #95, 121, and #92-94, 120-21.
Fg. 5.25 Baptstery mosac, Henchr Sokrne, Near Lamta (Lepts Mnor),
now n the Lamta Museum, Tunsa, sxth century. Photo: Author.
58
224 chapter ve
of Satan, dsrobng, or anontng), or they may have served as paces
for canddates to be vested n ther whte robes or receve the mposton
of hands or post-baptsma anontng.551 The pacements of actua
baptsma chambers vary, however. Some are behnd the apse, as n
Sufetua; others were set to one sde of the apse, as at Kba, whe
st others near the entrance to the budng. Exampes of the atter are
not descrbed above but ncude baptsteres at Cathage (Dermech I)
and Thuburbo Maus, both n Tunsa.552
Free standng baptsteres were far more common n Itay than n
North Afrca. The Lateran baptstery, both Man baptsteres, both
baptsteres n Ravenna, and the Abenga baptstery are nstances of
separate baptsma budngs constructed near (but not attached to)
the churches they served. The baptstery at Prmuacum descrbed by
Paunus was aso one of these types. By contrast, the ony known freestandng
baptsteres n North Afrca are at Sufetua (|ucundus) and at
Oued Rame.
5.2.2. Baptistery Design
The rooms or budngs that served as baptsteres not ony dhered
n respect to whether they were attached or free standng, they aso
had vared archtectura shapes and szes. The baptsma chambers at
Dura and Napes (S. Govann n Fonte) were rectanguar or square
rooms. Other attached baptsteres such as Kba, Br Ftouha, and
La Skhra were smary rectanguar.553 Some of these chambers had a
pro|ectng apse as at |ucudus and Vtas n Sufetua. These apses may
have been desgned to accommodate the bshops char or a sma tabe
for the consecrated os for the rte of chrsmaton.554 Severa attached
551 See dscusson beow, fn. 71.
552 See Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #723, 259; and #715, 257. Subsdary
rooms are aso very promnent at Gerasa (|ordan) and Saona (Croata).
553 Ths s aso true n Tmgad, D|ema, and Announa n Agera, and Dermech
I (Carthage), Beas Mnor, and Thuburbo Maus n Tunsa. Hppos baptstery
was a sem-round room. Rectanguar rooms were more common n the East (e.g.,
Greece, Asa Mnor, Syra, and Paestne). The baptsteres of Servus n Sufetua and
D|ebe Oust were nserted nto the cellae of former tempes, and so naturay square
n shape.
554 Apses occur aso n free standng baptsteres-as at Ravennas Aran baptstery
but aso, for exampe, at Grado on the Adratc coast. Some Afrcan baptsteres communcated
wth sma apsed rooms (e.g. at Hppo, Dermech I (Carthage)and Servus
(Sufetua) whch may have served the same functon as an apse nsde the baptsma
chamber tsef-to be a pace for the rte of conrmaton wth chrsm. These rooms
baptsteres n Afrca, on the other hand, have octagona shapes. They
ncude the baptsteres at Tabarka and Saggu (Br bou Rekba). A quatrefo
shaped baptstery was attached to the basca at Tgzrt.
The freestandng baptstery budngs n Itay are generay octagona
or at east partay so (Lateran, Man, and Ravenna), whe the
two Afrcan exampes, |ucundus and Oued Rame, are rectanguar.555
The pan of Mans cathedra baptstery (Sta. Theca), but durng
Ambroses epscopate, wth ts aternatng hemspherca apses and
rectanguar nches, may have been the mode for ater baptsteres n
northern Itay and southern France.556 From the md-fth century on
59
n the West, the octagona pan was the most popuar shape for both
baptsteres and fonts.557
5.2.3. hapes and Depths of Fonts
Schoars have commented extensvey on the dherent shapes of
eary Chrstan baptsma fonts (as opposed to baptstery rooms) and
ther potenta symboc mpcatons. Font shapes have been categorzed
accordng to whether they are rectanguar (or square), round,
poygona (octagona and hexagona), poyobed, and crucform, and
some hstorans have argued that these dherent shapes evoved from
smpe retanguar to more compex desgns.558 Of course the earest
exampe, Duras font, was a rectanguar tub, but to one end of a
narrow rectanguar room. A rectanguar font was aso nstaed n the
may aso have served as rooms for the tranng of the catechumens (the apse accommodatng
the bshops char) or perhaps for exorcsm, dsrobng, or the pre-baptsma
rtes of the renuncaton of Satan and commtment to Chrst.
555 See Oof Brandt, "The Lateran Baptstery and the Dhuson of Octagona Baptsteres
rom Rome to Constantnope," A(!A( 14 (2006), 221-7.
556 For exampe the baptsteres of Novara n northern Itay and Fr|us n southern
France. The baptsteres of Poters and Rez n France, however, are exceptons to
ths.
557 See Kostof s argument that the Neonan baptstery n Ravenna was probaby
modeed after the Manese type, )rthodo# $aptistery, 49-50. See aso H. Wnfed-
Hansen, "dces antques pan centra daprs es archtectes de a renassance et
baptstres paochrtens," A(!A( 5 (1954), 391-99. Octagona fonts are st common
n western Protestant and Roman Cathoc churches.
558 See No Duva, "Church budngs: the baptstery," --(, vo. 1, 173; Rchard
Krauthemer, "Introducton to an Iconography of Medeva Archtecture, " 7:(! 5
(1942), 1-33, esp. 22-30: Daves, Architectural Setting, 2-5; and Anta Stauher, $aptismal
+onts, 17-44.
226 chapter ve
Catacomb of Ponzanus. In genera, however, rectanguar fonts were
not common.559
Athough the fonts at the Lateran, Napes (S. Govann n Fonte),
and Ravenna (Orthodox) are round, the fonts n Itay tend to be poygona,
often octagona or hexagona n shape. Ths s true of the fonts
n Man and Abenga, as we as many others not dscussed above
(e.g., Grado, Novara, and Nocera Superore, whch are round n the
nteror and octagona on the exteror).560 Eary Chrstan fonts found
n France are smary octagona (e.g., the fonts at Ax-en-Provence,
Fr|us, Rez, Poters, Marsees, and Cmez).561
North Afrcan fonts (ke those n the eastern provnces) show more
varety n shape. Some were round and made up of concentrc crces
(e.g., Musts, Tebessa, Tgzrt, and Tpasa-not dscussed above), and
a few were octagona (e.g., Sagu and Damous e Karta), or hexagona
(e.g. at Tmgad, Tabarka and Dermech I-the atter wth a round
basn). A arge number were a mx of shapes, and very frequenty poyobed
n some way. Even though such fonts were known esewhere,
those wth more than four obes are amost excusvey North Afrcan.
For exampe, the Kba and Br Ftouha fonts were four-obed,
the atter set wthn a round surround, whe the Hammam Lf and
Bekata fonts were seven and eght obed respectvey.562 Two, perhaps
three, obed fonts were eongated and mght be descrbed as vuvashaped.
These ncude the two fonts at Sufetua and the font at Henchr
60
559 A we-known exampe of a square font can be seen at Mactars n Tunsa, see
Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #733, 261.
560 On these others see Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #365, 181; #391, 187;
and #386, 186. The Butrnt Baptstery n Abana s a arge crcuar structure (14.5 m.
n dameter) but wthn a rectanguar room. Insde, two concentrc crces of eght
coumns emphasze the round shape, but wth an added octagona symbosm. See
Mtche, $utrint $aptistery, 19-25.
561 On these fonts see Rstow, +rGhchristliche $aptisterien, #156, 134; #173, 137;
#211, 147-8; #202, 145; #194, 143; and #199, 144.
562 Other poyobed fonts n Tunsa ncude those at Herga (eght obes), Upenna
(eght obes), Hakama (eght obes), Sd Mansour (sx obes wth two rectanguar
entrances), and Ouemcetren (four obes). In Agera was the Announa (sx obes). The
font at D|ema was four-obed wth a square basn set nto a domed, round space.
Poyobed fonts were aso common n eastern Chrstan baptsteres. Mburn proposed
that the obes mght be used to aow severa peope to be baptzed smutaneousy,
but ths seems somewhat mprobabe n the smaer fonts and group ntaton
unkey from a turgca and even practca standpont. Some fonts were certany
arge enough to hod more than one person at a tme (e.g. the basn at Nocera Superore
or Br Ftouha), but no textua evdence supports the dea that severa canddates
coud be ntated at once. Mburn, -arly (hristian Art, 206.
Fg. 5.26 Baptstery, Bua Rega, Tunsa, fth-sxth-century. Photo: Author.
Sokrne.563 A number of other Afrcan fonts were crucform-shaped as
we-a shape not found esewhere n the West but common n the
East, especay n Syra, Paestne, and |ordan, amost a dated to the
Byzantne era.564 Among these s the font at Oued Rame, and others
not dscussed above ncudng the fonts at Bua Rega (g. 5.26);
E Kantara (now n the Bardo Museum, g. 5.27); Thuburbo Maus
(a crce wth four equatera arms), Sabratha, and Lepts Magna n
Lbya. The baptstery of Hppo Regus had a moded crucform font
(g. 5.28).565
The sze and depths of the fonts vary amost as much as ther shape. A
ma|orty of fonts are nstaed beow the oor eve; they are entered by
563 A font of ths shape was aso found n Gau, at Cvaux, see Rstow, +rGhchristliche
$aptisterien, #166, 136.
564 See Maka Ben Pechat, "The Paeochrstan Baptsma Fonts n the Hoy Land:
Forma and Functona Study," LA 39 (1989), 165-88. Ben Pechat provdes an exceent
chart of baptsma fonts from ths regon, showng them many to be round,
poyobed, and crucform n shape.
565 These fonts coud be compared wth the fonts at Saona n Croata, and, Aahan
and Ephesus (Basca of St. |ohn) n Turkey.
228 chapter ve
Fg. 5.27 Baptstery, E Kantara (Ise of D|erba), now n the Bardo Museum,
sxth century. Photo: Author.
Fg. 5.28 Baptstery from Hppo, Annaba, Agera, eary fth century. Photo:
Author.
steps down and then exted by steppng up and out. Some, however,
were rased and stood on the oor, requrng canddates to cmb up
to enter (as n Hppo, Grado, or Mount Nebo). Some fonts were deep
(more than one meter) and arge enough to aow recpents to knee
and have ther heads mmersed (e.g., at Dura Europos, the Lateran
Basca, and Bua Rega), whe others were so shaow or sma that
canddates must have stood whe water was poured from above (as
so commony ustrated n the conography).566 Smaer fonts mght
be monothc and even set above the oor eve wthn a church. The
61
font at Hppo Regus s one such exampe.
Steps were sometmes symboc n themseves. Isdore, a sxth-century
bshop of Seve, expaned that the font had "seven steps; three
downwards representng the three thngs that we renounce, three others
upwards for the three thngs we confess; the seventh s the same as
the fourth, ke the son of man, extngushng the furnace of re |Dan
3.15|, a stabe pace for the feet and a foundaton for the water, n
whch the whoe funess of dvnty dwes body |Co 2.9|."567
5.2.4. Ciboria" Footbaths" Water ystems" and Drains
Fonts were often covered by cbora supported by coumns (usuay
four).568 The coverng was key meant to keep drt or other poutants
out of the water and so functoned n much the same way as cbora
over atars but may aso have been a way of attachng curtans that
coud cose to ensure prvacy. Curtans are depcted on the Samagher
Casket, for exampe.
Few fonts had any survvng apparatus for beng ed wth water,
athough many had drans for ther evacuaton. Such drans are evdent
n Napes and n Man. Csterns probaby for coectng ranwater
to be used for the rte are sometmes found near to or nsde of
baptsteres.569 In other nstances wes were found nearby and n at n
566 See dscusson, Chap. 4, pp. 137-8.
567 Isdore of Seve, -cc. o&. 25.4, trans. author, PL 83.821B. See aso the dervatve
comment Hdephonsus of Toedo, (ognit. 11.
568 Of the baptsteres descrbed n Chap. 5, cbora were noted at Abenga, Sufetua,
Kba, La Skhra, and Oued Rame. The baptstery at Dura Europos was set under an
arch (arcosolium), and t s most key that cbora covered the fonts at the Lateran
and n Man.
569 An above-ground stone cstern s very promnent near to the font at Musts n
Tunsa, and a sma n-ground cstern was found near the font at Dermech I (aso n
Tunsa).
230 chapter ve
some nstances fonts were but over exstng bath structures (e.g., the
Lateran Baptstery). The monumenta baptsteres at Nocera Superore
n Itay and Butrnt n Agera, both but over ancent bathng compexes,
made use of ther systems of water suppy, ppng, dranng,
and even heatng. At Butrnt, archaeoogsts have found not ony water
tanks and an underground ppng system but aso a furnace for warmng
the font water. They aso dscovered a sma fountan opposte the
chambers entrance.570
Some fonts woud have had water nstaatons based on desgns for
tradtona Roman nymphaea. The seven sver water-pourng stags n
the Lateran baptstery, as descrbed by the Lber Pontcas, or Bshop
Eustorgus of Mans reported eaborate hydrauc apparatus to create
a ran shower are cases n pont.
Footbaths to accommodate the rte of the pedilavium were dented
n severa baptsteres-at Abenga and Man as we as n France at the
baptstery n Fr|us. Recenty, Oof Brandt studed the possbty that
two fourth-century Roman baptsteres may have ncuded structures
desgned for footwashng, one n the baptstery of S. Lorenzo n Lucna,
and another n a chamber ad|onng the Lateran baptstery (rebut n
the fth century as the chape of S. Govann n Evangestca).571
62
(onclusion
Eary Chrstan baptsteres and fonts show a marked degree of varance
over both space and tme. Some baptsteres were attached to
the bascas they served, whe others were free standng. Athough
detached, octagonay-shaped baptsteres are more typcay found n
Itay and Gau, exceptons aso exst (e.g., the baptstery of |ucundus
at the ste of Sufetua or the monumenta baptstery at Oaat Sman
n northern Syra). Those chambers that were but nto or annexed
to church budngs mght be found amost anywhere n reatonshp
to the man assemby space, from the entrance (narthex) to behnd
the apse.
In the same way, font shapes show a remarkabe varety, especay
n North Afrca and n the eastern Roman provnces. These shapes
range from rectanguar to round, hexagona to crucform, to mut-
570 See Mtche, $utrint $aptistery, 21-2.
571 Brandt, Strutture de IV secoo per a avanda."
obed. Many fonts aso show a combnaton of shapes (found at the
bottom and octagona at oor-eve for nstance). Stages of rebudng
aso caused transformaton of font shapes over tme n certan
nstances.
Certan decoratve motfs are commony ncorporated, usuay n
poychrome mosac. Partcuary common motfs are sh, brds, ambs
and shepherds, and deer comng to drnk at a fountan. Other decoratve
schemes were often foowed, however. Images of Chrsts baptsm,
processng apostes or sants, wreaths, candes or amps, and bbca
scenes have survved n varous paces and from dherent eras. Some
fonts appear to have been orented to gude ntates movements from
west to east (from the regon of darkness to the ght of the rsng sun).
Some of the fonts woud have accommodated mmerson, but most
are so shaow that recpents key knet n ony a few nches of water
whe beng drenched from an overhead ow, perhaps from a ptcher
hed by a deacon.
Apparenty, no snge pan was consstenty foowed (athough some
were ceary nfuenta). Nor s t cear whether desgns were guded by
donors, church authortes, or oca customs (athough regona patterns
are evdent). Obvous chronoogca deveopment of shapes or
conographc programs s not easy to dscern, despte the nsstence of
some hstorans that shapes must have evoved from the smpe (e.g.,
rectanguar) to the more compex (e.g., mut-obed), and that more
eaboraton n desgn tends to come at a ater date.572 For exampe,
the Dura baptsterys was were covered wth narratve scenes and ts
font (a smpe, rectanguar tub) was covered by an arch that was supported
by two coumns. And whe the survvng Byzantne-era fonts
n North Afrca tend to have rcher mosac embeshments, the sxthcentury
font at Sufetuas basca of Vtas was no more fancy than
ts mode and predecessor, the fth-century baptstery of |ucundus.
Desgn choces must have been ahected by the avaabty of sked
abor or the mtatons of ste, space, and avaabe funds.
Fnay, whether baptsteres were but to accommodate and eucdate
63
certan actons or beefs about what those actons ehected and
sgned (form foowng functon), or whether the actons conformed
to the spaces that housed them (functon foowng form), the nteror
572 Ths s the argument of Daves, Architectural Setting of $aptism, and Stauher,
)n $aptismal +onts.
232 chapter ve
desgn, conographc adornment, and genera archtectura pans of the
baptsteres woud have payed a roe n the shapng of the experence
and retrospectve understandng of those who underwent the baptsma
sacrament wthn these paces. Thus two tra|ectores are present.
On one hand, the transprng rtuas smutaneousy conformed to
regona practce and theoogca constructon whe beng adapted or
eaborated to t specc, oca archtectura structures, or, on the other,
these structures were smutaneousy shaped, and even remodeed,
accordng to perceved and changng deas and practces.
CHAPTER SIX
SY6BOLIS6 IN BAPTISTERY DESIGN AND DECOR
!ntroduction9 6isual Symbols and Ritual Actions
Eary Chrstan baptsteres were more than smpy convenent sheters
for turgca rtes. They functoned as symbos n themseves; ther
shape and decoraton reected and renforced the theoogca sgncance
or meanng of the rtua. Whereas the spaces and ther furnshngs
were specay but to accommodate a compex ceremony havng
regona and ndgenous varatons, certan detas of ther desgn were
ntended to express the meanng and purpose of the rte.
Ths chapter consders such symboc anguage of space and decor
n ght of what survvng documents revea about how the rtua was
performed and what partcpants understood ts varous components
to acheve. It assumes that the archtectura desgns, shapes of fonts,
and nteror decoraton were not haphazardy or arbtrary chosen,
nor of tte consequence to those who but or used those structures.
Certan archtectura forms became standard because they were we
suted, not ony to turgca movements but aso to what the rtuas
meant to ther partcpants. Smary, partcuar mages (or programs
of mages) were ncorporated because they contrbuted to the sense or
meanng of the actons takng pace wthn the spaces they enhanced.
These messages were transmtted through the adapton of exstng archtectura
prototypes (e.g., baths or tombs), through the ncorporaton
of certan symboc shapes (e.g., octagons, or womb-ke structures),
and through vsua mages and nscrptons that resonated wth core
beefs about the rtua or ts foundatona narratves (e.g., sh, sheep,
or deer drnkng from fountans of vng water).573
Indvduas who receved Chrstan baptsm understood that the rtua
accompshed mutpe ob|ectves, a of whch atered ther sprtua
573 Severa studes have preceded ths one and are usefu references. They ncude,
Lucen De Bruyne, "La decoraton," 341-69; Henr Stern, "Le decor des pavements et
des cuves dans es baptsteres paeochretens," A(!A( 5 (1957), 381-90; and Peter van
Dae, "Purpose and Functon," 113-35.
234 chapter sx
status. Athough practces vared from regon to regon and over tme,
the rte generay acheved a consstent set of persona transformatons.
64
Frst of a, baptsm was a rtua of membershp-t |oned the
convert to the communty. Rtuas of enroment were renforced by
metaphors (both verba and vsua) of fames, ocks of sheep, cohorts
of soders, or teams of athetes. Baptsm was aso a rtua of ceansng
and regeneraton. The newy baptzed shed od sns and ded to former
ves, understandng themseves as reborn and gven a fresh start. Ths
aspect of the rtua was conveyed through the practces of exorcsm,
dsrobng, bathng, and recevng new garments.
Baptsm addtonay mparted some knd of nner knowedge; n
many paces the newy baptzed were referred to as "umnat" and
gven t tapers as a sgn of ther enghtenment. The magery of ght
was pervasve n the texts as we as n the desgn and decoraton of
baptsteres. The post-baptsma anontng wth scented o seaed the
newy baptzed and sgnaed ther havng receved the gfts of the Hoy
Sprt, symbozed by the dove at |esus baptsm. Ther nakedness n a
garden-ke settng expressed ther return to a pre-apsaran nnocence.
A these transformatons were artcuated, vsuay, n the nterors
of the baptsma chambers, n the desgn of fonts, and even n the basc
structure of budngs that housed the rtua.
6.1. Architectural Prototypes
Certan types of Roman budngs have genera smartes to the baptsteres
but n the fourth through sxth centures. The most apparent
are those centrazed and vauted spaces that housed baths or served
as mausoea. These knds of budngs aso shared a common purpose
wth baptsm, whch was smutaneousy a bath and a symboc
bura. Canddates for baptsm coud have recognzed the archtectura
paraes and derved meanng from the shape of the space. Schoary
opnons vary, however, on whch of these pre-exstng structures were
most key to have nuenced the desgn of the baptstery and ts font,
and whether the modeng was ntended to serve a symboc purpose
or merey the adapton of a usefu centrazed desgn.
6.1.1. Baths
As dscussed above, Chrstans vng n amost any Roman cty woud
have been famar wth-and even reguar users of-the pubc baths
symbosm n baptstery desgn and decor 235
(thermae). Baptsm, of course, was a form of washng and was dscussed
n terms that were borrowed from the baths (e.g., lavacra or
piscina).574 The Latn word, baptisterium, referred to a arge basn or
piscina, found n the frigidarium of a Roman bath, and ony ater to a
basn for Chrstan baptsm.575 Lavacrum, meanng an ordnary bath,
was another term often used n the Latn West for baptsm.576
Cypran of Carthage recognzed the superca paraes between
an ordnary bath and baptsm, but emphaszed ther profound dherences.
In an argument about the emcacy of schsmatc baptsm, he uses
the dstncton to make hs pont:
Nor s the washng away of the contagon of transgressons n the sacrament
of savaton ke that secuar and corporea washng of the drt oh
the skn and body, where there s need of washng soda (aphronitris)
and smar ads as we as a bathtub (solio) or bathng poo (piscina),
65
by whch our puny tte bodes are abe to be washed and ceansed. In
another way the breast of the beever s bathed; n another way the mnd
of the person s ceansed-through the merts of fath.577
Later, and from a dherent part of the word, Gregory of Nyssa, saw
a symboc vaue n the paraes. In a sermon on Chrsts baptsm,
preached on Epphany, he procams: "But water serves to express the
ceansng. For snce we customary wash n water to render our body
cean when t s soed by drt or mud, we therefore appy t aso n
sacramenta acton, and dspay the sprtua brghtness by that whch
s sub|ect to our senses . . . do not despse the dvne aver, nor thnk
ghty of t, as a common thng, on account of the use of water."578
The fourth-century bshop Zeno of Verona echoes Gregorys ponts.
He verbay depcts the nsde of the baptstery by borrowng and transformng
a scene from the Roman baths. The vng water s warmed
by both the Hoy Sprt and by re, and ts entcng murmur nvtes
574 On these terms, see above, Chap. 4, p. 138. Chrstans and the baths see above,
Chap. 4, pp. 159-62.
575 In a etter to a frend descrbng hs va n Tuscany, Pny the Younger descrbed
the baths n some deta, usng the terms baptisterium and piscina, -p. 5.6.25-26; cf
aso -p. 2.17, 11. The rst recorded use of baptisterium n a Chrstan context comes
from Sdonus Aponars, -p. 2.2; 4.15.
576 See, for exampe, Tertuan, (or. 3, and $apt. 2.2; 7.1; 11.4. On the smartes
see Eduard Stomme, "Chrstche Taufrten und antke Badestten," 7A( 2 (1959),
5-14.
577 Cypran, -p. 69.12.2, trans. author. (CCL 3C: 487-8.257-66).
578 Gregory of Nyssa, 'iem lum., trans., NPNF ser. 2, vo. 5, 518-24 (sghty
adapted by author).
236 chapter sx
the bathers. Here a bath attendant (the bshop) who, rather than takng
money, gves t and, rather than a con wth the emperors portrat, the
bather receves one stamped wth the mage of the Trnty: "Aready
the grded bath keeper awats you, ready to do the work of anontng
and dryng and furnshng the god denarus wth the trpe emgy."579
Ths text suggests that the water n the font-at east n Verona-was
warmed, perhaps even by a hypocaust system, and that the newy
baptzed receved some knd of token.
Archtectura equvaences compement the paraes. Ancent bathng
compexes (thermae) contaned chambers (especay the cod and
hot punge poos known as the frigidaria and caldaria) that were centrazed,
crcuar, and covered wth domes; some aso had apses.580 Most
of the poos had seats runnng around the nteror to aow bathers to
st and soak, not unke the seats or steps found n the fonts at Dura
Europos, Keba, and Bekata n North Afrca.581 Octagona has were
more commony but for pubc baths n Late Antquty, especay
n the thrd through fth centures.582 It seems that some baptsteres
were but near or over exstng bath compexes (e.g., Romes Lateran
Baptstery, Br Ftouha, and D|ema n Agera).583 Because of these
structura and functona paraes, many archtectura hstorans have
vewed bath budngs as prototypes for Chrstan baptsteres.584
579 Zeno, !nv. font. 6 (Tract. 1.23), trans. author (CCL: 22.70).
580 For exampe the Staban baths at Pompe.
581 See above, Chap. 5, pp. 228-9.
582 See the exampes n the cataogue of Roman baths by Inge Nesen, Thermae
66
et $alnea9 The Architectural and (ultural 2istory of Roman $aths (Aarhus: Aarhus
Unversty Press, 1991).
583 See dscusson above, Chap. 5, pp. 186, 217. Other baptsteres thought to have
been but on or near oder bath structures ncude those n Nocera (Itay), D|ebe Oust
(Tunsa), Damous e Karta (Tunsa), and Butrnt (Abana). D|ebe Oust was aso
the ste of an earer sanctuary of Aescepus and s today st an actve spa oherng
hot sprng bathng.
584 See, for exampe, Rstow, +ruhchristliche $aptisterien, 21; Noe Duva, "Church
budngs," 173; Emerson H. Swft, Roman Sources of (hristian Art (New York: Coumba
Unversty Press, 1951), 40; Doger, "Zur Symbok des atchrstchen Taufhauses,"
184-7; Stauher, $aptismal +onts, 15-16; and C. Rcc, "I battstero d S. Govann n
Fonte," n Att per a Romagna 3.7 (1889), 268-9, who argued that Ravennas baptstery
was founded on part of an earer bath compex and that ts octagona pan wth
four corner nches s based on that earer bath structure. Ths was refuted by Kostof,
)rthodo# $aptistery, 13-14, who saw no evdence for hs hypothess. See aso Erka
Brodner, 'ie romischen Thermen und das anti%e $ade1esen9 ein %ulturhistorische
$etrachtung (Darmstadt: Wssenschaftche Buchgeseschaft, 1983), 267-8.
Other hstorans see more dherences than smartes, however. For
exampe, Rchard Krauthemer argues that crcuar caldaria and frigidaria
were reatvey rare and that the ma|orty of centrazed (round)
rooms n therma estabshments were ether apodyteria (dressng
rooms) or laconica (steam rooms), nether of whch had water basns
or xtures for abutons.585 Octagonay-shaped rooms were unusua,
but not unknown. The baths of Agrppa had a centra rotunda that was
probaby an open gatherng space and not a bathng area. Nevertheess,
the caldarium of Caracaas baths was encosed n a centra, crcuar
structure covered by a dome. The was nsde the room were vared
by eght rectanguar, arched nches (contanng sma heated poos)
over whch were ta arched wndows. A centra poo presumaby ed
the rooms center. By contrast, Romes famous baths of Docetan
were mosty rectanguar n pan, wth one sma crcuar room that
may have housed the warm bath (tepidarium).586
The strongest cautonary argument aganst seeng Roman bath
archtecture as the prmary prototype for Chrstan baptsteres s that
centrazed round or octagona free-standng structures were used for
other types of budngs, ncudng tempes (e.g., the thrd-century
Roman Tempe of Mnerva Medca), mpera recepton rooms (e.g.,
Neros Domus Aurea), and (perhaps most sgncanty) mausoea.
Accordng to Krauthemer, the combnaton of a vauted center room
wth nner or cosed and reatvey ow outer ambuatory typcay
occurs n a dherent type of Roman budng-mausoea but durng
the thrd and fourth centures.587
6.1.2. 'ausolea
Mausoea aso shared mportant functona and archtectura smartes
wth eary Chrstan baptsteres. The centraty of death and resurrecton
n the theoogy of baptsm (cf. Rom 6.4) may have made a
mausoeum a natura desgn prototype for a baptstery. Furthermore,
585 Krauthemer, "Iconography of Medaeva Archtecture," 115-50. Krauthemer
argues that the rectanguar baptsteres (e.g., the baptstery of Dura Europos) may
have more n common wth bath structures than centrazed (round or octagona)
baptsteres.
586 See Fkret Yegu, $aths and $athing, 130-83.
587 Krauthemer, "Iconography of Medaeva Archtecture," 23-5. Krauthemer,
67
however, aso caed attenton to the smartes between mausoea and centrazed
throne rooms. See aso the argument of Pau Styger, beow p. 238.
238 chapter sx
the budng of centrazed sants tomb-shrnes (martyria) n the fth
century and the assocaton of baptsm wth martyrdom further renforced
these paraes.
Many schoars have argued for the mausoeums nuence on the
desgn of freestandng baptsma structures. Pau Styger refutes the proposa
that baptsteres were modeed on thermae rooms or nymphaea,
argung nstead (wth tte evdence) that many baptsteres, ncudng
those of Napes and Ravenna, were orgnay but to be mausoea.588
Andre Grabars better-supported theory argues that martyra and baptsteres
both beong to the genera type of the mausoeum, so characterzed
by ther centrazed pans surmounted by vauts and domes.
Grabar speccay dstngushes the ongtudna (rectanguar) basca
pan that served reguar congregatona worshp from the centra-pan
martyra and baptsteres wth ther dstnct cutc functons. Athough
hs research generay focused on the deveopment of the martyrum,
Grabar draws the paraes between those budngs and baptsteres.589
Krauthemer addtonay dentes the features that (some) baptsteres
share wth mausoea that they do not share wth other Roman
monuments. These ncude nner ambuatores covered by barre
vauts that are separated by coonnades from domed centra rooms.
An exceent exampe of ths pan s Romes Mausoeum of Sta. Constanza
(g. 6.1), whch orgnay was surrounded by both nner and
outer ambuatores and whch, accordng to Krauthemer, was the pattern
for the Lateran Baptstery renovaton.590 A smar pan s seen n
Ravennas Aran Baptstery (g. 5.14). Ths knd of nteror ambuatory
was aso merged wth a ongtudna basca pan, enveopng the apse
of cemetery (pgrmage) Roman churches dedcated to Chrstan martyrs
(e.g., Sta. Agnese, S. Lorenzo, and S. Sebastano).591
In addton to the Mausoeum of Augustus n Rome, one of the
best-known exampes of a Roman mpera mausoeum was but for
Docetan at Spt, at the begnnng of the fourth century. But nsde
Docetans paace, hs unt tomb was a centrazed octagona room
wth a nched, crcuar nteror covered by a hemspherca dome that
588 Pau Styger, "Nymphaaen, Mausoeen, Baptsteren," Architectura 1 (1933), 50-4.
589 Andre Grabar, 3artyium9 recherches sur le culte des reliques et lart chretien
antique, vo. 1 (London: Varorum, 1972), see 446-7 for exampe.
590 Krauthemer, "Iconography of Medeva Archtecture," 135-6. On ths pont see
Antono Ferrua, "Su battstero d S. Costanza," 6et(h 14 (1977), 281-90.
591 See aso Rchard Krauthemer, -arly (hristian and $y.antine Architecture,
4th ed. (New York: Vkng, Pengun, 1986), 53-4.
on the outsde ooked ke an octagona pyramd. Insde, the nches
were aternatey rectanguar and sem-crcuar. Aganst the wa, eght
coumns carred a pro|ectng entabature.592
Durng Constantnes regn, two mpera mausoea were constructed
n Rome, both wth centrazed, octagona pans. The rst was for Constantnes
mother, Heena (athough orgnay ntended for Constantne),
and the other hs daughters (Constantnas and Heenas). Snce
the Mdde Ages, the atter often has been mstakeny referred to as the
68
"Baptstery of Sta. Constanza," because ts desgn suggested that t must
have been meant t to be one (g. 6.1).593 A smar case of mstaken
dentty occurred at the octagona Chape of S. Aquno n Mans
church of S. Lorenzo, probaby because of ts structura paraes wth
592 See the ntroducton to ate antque archtecture by Afred Frazer, n The Age of
Spirituality9 Late Antique and -arly (hristian Art, Third to Seventh (entury, ed. Kurt
Wetzmann (New York: Metropotan Museum of Art, 1979), 110; aso Krauthemer,
-arly (hristian Architecture, 64. The Ceca Metea mausoeum on the Appan Way
ohers another eary mpera-era exampe of a cyndrca mausoeum.
593 See Brandenburg, Ancient (hurches of Rome, 73-86.
Fg. 6.1 Mausoeum of Sta. Constanza, exteror, Rome, fourth century.
Photo: Author.
240 chapter sx
the baptstery of Sta. Theca.594 Yet another exampe of a free-standng
octagona mpera mausoeum s that of the Ostragothc Kng
Theodorc, but n the eary sxth century n Ravenna.595 Somewhat by
contrast, the so-caed mausoeum of Gaa Pacda, but between 425
and 450, had a centrazed crucform pan probaby modeed after the
Church of the Hoy Apostes n Constantnope, a crucform-shaped
mausoeum-shrne constructed for Constantne.596
Constantne aso but two famous structures n the Hoy Land
that merged a basca wth a mausoeum, nether of them (techncay)
tombs. One, the Church of the Natvty n Bethehem, featured
a arge octagona ha attached to ts east sde to house the rock grotto
that was tradtonay dented as the ste of |esus brth. The other
was but on the ste of |esus tomb and resurrecton-the Hoy Sepucher.
The rotunda, known as the Anastass (Resurrecton) as descrbed
n Eusebus Life of (onstantine, was a crcuar budng topped by a
hemspherca dome supported by tweve coumns (to represent the
tweve apostes).597 Ths nuenta budng was tsef the prototype
for many shrnes constructed n ater centures, especay n Western
Europe.598
Another knd of budng, reated to the mausoeum but somewhat
dherent n functon, was the martyrs shrne. Martyrs were understood
to have been baptzed n ther own bood, and baptsteres were
occasonay transformed nto martyra by subsequent deposts of martyrs
recs wthn (e.g., Abenga and Sufetua, dscussed above).599 The
594 See Robert and Pared, !l battistero ambrosiano di San Aiovanni in +onte, for
an argument that the desgns of the Manese baptsteres were nuenced by mpera
mausoea.
595 See Water Kenbauer, Age of Spirituality, #109, 122-3.
596 See the 6it. (onst. 4.60; and Cyr Mango, "Constantnes Mausoeum and the
Transaton of Recs," $W 83 (1990), 51-62; and "Addendum," 434, whch argues
that Constantne actuay panned a crcuar mauseoeum on ths ste (for hmsef )
attached to the crucform shrne for recs of the tweve apostes.
597 Eusbus, 6it. (onst. 3.38. Schoars often queston whether Eusebus actuay
authored ths work, but as t s tradtonay assgned to hm, the author has chosen
to refer to t n ths fashon.
598 See |ustn E.A. Kroesen, The Sepulchrum 'omini through the Ages (Leuven:
Peeters, 2000).
599 On martrydom as a baptsm n bood see Trad. ap. 19; Tertuan, $apt. 16.1 and
Apol. 50; Orgen, 3art. 30; Cypran, -p. 73.22.2, and )rat. 24; Rebapt. 14; Gregory of
Nazanzus, Serm. 39, 15, 17; Cyr of |erusaem (at. 3.10; and (an. 2ippolytus 19. For
a genera dscusson of ths theme see Gordon |eanes, "Baptsm Portrayed as Martyrdom
n the Eary Church," StLit 23 (1993), 158-76. On the baptsteres of Abenga and
69
Sufetua, see Chap. 5, pp. 206-9, 210-12.
reverse happened as we; martyra were turned nto baptsteres, as n
the Catacomb of Ponzanus, whch housed the recs of Sants Abdon
and Sennon.600 Grabar notes ths phenomenon aso at Nsbs.601 Other
baptsteres were but near martyra. Br Ftouhas extraordnary baptstery
was annexed to ma|or pgrmage church (possby one of the
two shrnes of St. Cypran n Carthage); a comparabe structure was
found at Tarragona n Span.602 The monumenta baptstery at the ste
of the shrne of St. Smeon Stytes (Oaat Sman) n Syra s another
nstance of a baptstery but to accommodate pgrms to a famous
memora or sants tomb.603
The ncuson of mages of sants and martyrs or processons of
apostes carryng wreaths-as at the Napes baptstery, the two Ravenna
baptsteres (cf. gs. 3.10-11), and Prmuacum-or nscrptons that
refer to partcuar sants (as at Keba), may have been ntended to
remnd the eect that they too were worthy of a crown of vctory.
Both Ambrose and |ohn Chrysostom compare ntates to vctorousy
crowned athetes.604 Cyr of |erusaem speaks of Chrst to a brdegroom,
oherng the brde (neophyte) a |eweed dadem.605
The fourth-century poet, Prudentus composed a cyce of hymns
dedcated to martyrs caed the (ro1ns of 3artyrdom (Peristephanon).
One of these s dedcated to a baptstery but on the ste of the suherngs
of two martyrs. In t, Prudentus expcty reates the martyrs
vctory wth the vctory of the newy baptzed. He aso ponts to
Chrsts death on the cross and hs wound that gave forth both bood
and water:
Ths s a pace that Chrst chose,
where proven hearts are carred to heaven by bood.
Here two men, ked for the name of the Lord,
bore the purpe wtness by means of a nobe death.
Here as we grace ows ceary from the font
so that t ceanses od sns by a new stream.
Let the one who desres to go up to the eterna kngdom of Heaven
come here thrsty-for behod the way s provded.
600 See above dscusson, Chap. 5, pp. 189-90.
601 Grabar, 3artyrium vo. 1, 79.
602 On Br Ftouha, see above, Chap. 5, pp. 216-18. On the baptstery at Tarragona
see Eduardo |unyent, "I monument Crstan d Spagna: Studat n quest utm
ann," A(!A( 3 (1934), 283-85.
603 See |ensen, "Baptsm at North Afrcan Martyrs Shrnes."
604 Ambrose, Sacr. 1.4; 2 aso 2el. 21.79; |ohn Chrysostom, (atech. illum. 3.8-9.
605 Cyr of |erusaem, (at. 3.2.
242 chapter sx
Before now the crowned wtnesses ascended to hgh gates,
now by ther washng, sous seek the heghts.
Here the Sprt, accustomed to descend eternay,
To bestow the pam here gves pardon.
The earth drnks the sacred drops, ether of bood or from the sprng,
and s perennay refreshed by the stream that ows from her God.
He s the Lord of ths pace, the one from whose wounds two uds-
both bood and water-gushed.
Each w go from here through the wounds of Chrst, n the way he s
70
abe-one by the sword and the other by water.606
The dea that the newy baptzed had earned ther crowns ke the
martyrs, may have ed to the gvng of actua crowns. Snce they had
won vctory over demons and death, they processed trumphanty nto
the man church where they were wecomed by the communty and
|oned the ceebraton of the eucharst. Athough no eary documents
attest to the practce, n ater eras the newy baptzed were crowned
for ths processon.607
In addton to the depost of sants remans, baptsteres were
aso used for ordnary buras. At east one tomb was found to be
contemporary wth the budng of the Aran baptstery of Ravenna
and others to have been added ater.608 Accordng to Krauthemer,
the Byzantne Baptstery of Santa Severna n Caabra was crowded
wth tombs dated as ate as the nnth century.609 Bura n baptsteres
was apparenty common enough that t had to be prohbted by the
Counc of Auxerre n 578.610 Whereas eary Chrstans sought bura
near the tombs of sants, and then n tme sought baptsm at the
shrnes, some eventuay came to regard a baptstery as an especay
approprate ocaton for a grave.
These practces are rooted n the symboc assocatons of baptsm
wth both Chrsts and the neophytes death and resurrecton (cf.
606 Prudentus, Perist. 8, trans. author (CSEL 61: 366-7).
607 Many ater eatern rtes ncuded a post-baptsma rte of crownng. See Geohrey
Wanwrght, "The Rtes and Ceremones of Chrstan Intaton: Deveopments n the
Past," StLit 10 (1974), 13.
608 See Guseppe Geroa, "I restauro de battstero Arano d Ravenna," 112-29.
609 Krauthemer, "Iconography of Medeva Archtecture," 137, fn. 160 n whch he
ctes P. Lacono, "Su restauro computo a Battstero d Santa Severna," $oll. darte
28 (1934), 174f.
610 See F.W. Unger, "Uber de chrstchen Rund- und Octogon-Bauten," n $onner
7ahrbucher 41 (1866), 52, fn. 2.
Rom 6.3-11). A baptstery s n some sense a mausoeum or martyrum
structure, whch n turn makes the tomb structure a ogca archtectura
prototype for a baptstery. Ths reexve symbosm turns up
n fourth-century documents as we as n turgy. Ambrose cas the
font a knd of grave and makes the express comparson between the
shape of the font and the shape of a tomb.611 Cyr of |erusaem makes
a more drect assocaton between the baptsma poo and the sepucher
of Chrst.612 Augustne remnds the newy baptzed that they had
been bured wth Chrst when they were punged nto the baptsma
poo.613 Paunus of Noa kewse speaks of baptsm as beng bured
wth Chrst.614 Ths assocaton of baptsm wth |esus crucxon s
undoubtedy the reason for crucform fonts (see gs. 5.26-27)-a way
of fuy sharng n Chrsts death and bura (Rom 6.3-4)-and the
crosses that appear n baptstery decor.615 By the fourth century, baptsms
at Easter had become common (athough not unversa), whch
s another way of makng ths partcpaton n Chrsts death and
resurrecton expct.616
Despte ths concdence of magery and symbosm, more recent
schoarshp has been cautous about assertng such ntentona symbosm
n the desgn of eary Chrstan baptsteres. Nevertheess, one
71
may turn to the eary theoogans for at east an nterpretaton of a
baptsterys desgn, after the fact.617
611 Ambrose, Sac. 2.19 and. 3.1; aso Sac. 2.23, 6.7.
612 Cyr of |erusaem, 3yst. 2.4; aso (at. 3.12, and 3yst. 2.1, 3.5. See aso |ohn
Chrysostom, -p. Rom 10.4 and $apt. inst. 10.7, where he expans baptsm as a type
of cross.
613 Augutne, Serm. 229A.1.
614 Paunus, -p. 23.18.
615 Crucform fonts are common shapes n Afrca as we as n the East. See dscusson
above, Chap. 5, pp. 226-7. Hexagona fonts aso may have connectons to Chrsts
death, as they may have been meant to refer to the sxth day of the week, the day of
hs crucxon (Frday). On the cross n the baptstery, see beow, pp. 271-3.
616 See Pau Bradshaw, " Dem baptsmo soemnorem" Intaton and Easter n
Chrstan Antquty," n Living :ater, Sealing Spirit* Readings on (hristian !nitiation,
ed. Maxwe |ohnson (Coegeve: Lturgca Press, 1995), 137-47.
617 See De Baauw, "Kutgebaude," 340 for an exampe of ths more cautous
approach.
244 chapter sx
6.2. tructural ymbolism
6.2.1. The (ctagon
Most attached baptsteres were smpe rectanguar spaces. By contrast,
freestandng budngs, especay n Itay and Gau were often
octagona (e.g., the Lateran Baptstery, the two baptsteres n Ravenna,
the baptstery n Abenga). In at east one case the octagona desgn
attracted an aegorca nterpretaton. Ths appears n the nscrpton
that Ambrose s assumed to have wrtten for the octagona baptstery
n Man, whch asserts that an eght-sded budng and font serve
and-n ther shape-reect a sacred purpose.618
In fact, that Manese fourth-century octagona baptstery was one of
the rst of ts knd (n addton to the Lateran Baptstery, f t was-as
s now key-orgnay octagona) and thus coud have been a
mode for subsequent octagona baptstery structures, ncudng the
baptsteres of Ravenna (gs. 5.9,13).619 From the fth century to
the Mdde Ages and beyond, the octagon contnued to be one of the
most popuar shapes for a baptstery or font n the West. Added to
octagona fonts, perhaps, are those other nstances of the eght-sdedness,
for exampe, the eght coumns n the Lateran Baptstery, the
eght mosac panes radatng from the dome medaon n Napes, or
the eght obes of the font at Bekata.620
The mystca sgncance of the octagon, camed but not actuay
expaned by Ambrose, was key an auson to ancent numeroogca
symbosm. In Chrstan tradton, the number eght generay refers
to the eghth day-the new "rst" day of the week-on whch |esus
was resurrected from the dead and the creaton woud be renewed.
The earest known expresson of ths comes from the menast vew
presented n the -pistle of $arnabas n whch God says: "after I have
set everythng at rest, I w create the begnnng of an eghth day,
whch s the begnnng of another word." Ths s why, the authors
618 See above, Chap. 5, pp. 197-8.
619 See dscusson of the presumed nuence on the Ravenna baptsteres n Kostof,
)rthodo# $aptistery, 49-54 and on the renovaton of the Lateran Baptstery from crcuar
to octagona above, Chap. 5, pp. 198-206.
620 See above, Chap.5, pp. 187, 191, 218. On the octagona shape of the baptstery
72
see Doger, "Zur Symbok," 153-87, wth extensve ctatons of eary Chrstan
wrtngs; aso Renhart Staats, "Ogdoas as en Symbo fur de Augerstehung," 6( 26
(1972), 29-52.
etter expans, that Chrstans ceebrate on the eghth day (Sunday),
the day on whch |esus rose from the dead and, after appearng to hs
dscpes, aso ascended nto heaven.621
Such symbosm may account for the emphass gven n 1 Peter
(3.20-21) and reterated n 2 Peter 2.5, to the eght persons who were
saved through water n the story of Noah. The author nterprets ther
number-as we as ther watery rescue-as pontng to Chrstan
baptsm. |ustn Martyr takes ths further, camng that these rescued
eght symbozed the eghth day: the day of Chrsts resurrecton. In hs
daogue wth the |ew, Trypho, |ustn aso draws a connecton between
Noahs ark and the cross, expanng that Chrstans are regenerated
through both water and wood.622
Ths numeroogy had a venerabe pre-Chrstan hstory, especay n
Greco-Roman phosophy that consdered the number eght to symboze
perfecton, eternty, and repose. It had cosmc assocatons too,
as ancents camed that eght spheres (or orbts) crced the earth.
Accordng to the rst-century Greek phosopher and mathematcan,
Theon of Smyrna, the number eght symbozes eternty, when Gods
rue w preva n the unverse.623
Eght aso was mathematcay sgncant. It was the rst cube
(222) and consttutes the number of corners n a geometrca cube.
In the ate fourth or eary fth century, the Neo-Patonst Macrobus
eaborated on the geometrca perfecton of the number eght, nsstng
that t had a speca rght to be caed "fu" because of ts ntmate
assocaton wth the harmony of the spheres. He addtonay notes
that ancent Pythagoreans gave t the name "|ustce" because t was
the produce of equa, even numbers, and coud be equay dvded nto
both haves and thrds.624
In certan gnostc cosmooges, the chef archon was enthroned n
the eghth heaven: the xed sphere and the pont of the sous reease
from the ower spheres. Arrvng at ths pace meant achevng eterna
unty wth the Dvne. Accordng to Cement of Aexandra, Basdes
taught that Rghteousness and her daughter, Peace, dwet n that eghth
621 Barnabas, -p. 15.8-9, trans. Mchae W. Homes, The Apostolic +athers 3rd ed.
(Grand Rapds, MI: Baker Academc, 2007), 429.
622 |ustn Martyr, 'ial. 138.
623 Theon of Smyrna, -#p. math. 105.
624 Macrobus, Som. Scip., 1.5. 3-18; 2.2.10.
246 chapter sx
sphere.625 Irenaeus dscusses the dherent "prmary ogdoads" of the
Vaentnus, Secundus, and the foowers of Ptoemy and Coorbasus.626
The so-caed Vaentnan "Hymn of the Reveaton," from the Apocryphal
Acts of 7ohn ncudes a menton of the eght-fod power (the
ogdoad) as "sngng wth us."627 One of the fragments from Theodotus,
a Vaentnan teacher n Aexandra, contrasts the death-bound one
who was born of an earthy mother wth the one who s transferred by
the regeneraton of Chrst nto fe n the ogdoad.628
Pho, apparenty nuenced by Pythagorean and mdde Patonc
73
numeroogca specuaton, dentes the number eght wth Gods
command to crcumcse on the eghth day (Gen 17.12). He eaborates
the beautfu propertes of the number, camng that the sou s
composed of eght dvsons, and that the number eght ndcates the
begnnng of the second hebdomad (a second seven-day creaton that
ncuded the covenant between God and the chosen peope).629
A Chrstan Aexandran, Cement kewse beeved the number
eght ponted to the new creaton. He argues that ths was even prophetcay
ncorporated n Patos Republic (10.616B), whch descrbes
sous arsng from seven days of rest n a meadow to set out on ther
|ourney agan on the eghth. Accordng to Cement, the meadow sgnes
the xed sphere, the ream of the pous ones, and the seven days
represent the moton of the seven panets that brngs the tme of rest
to an end on the eghth day, when the |ourney to heaven begns.630
Augustne equated the number eght wth the number one as a symbo
of rebrth, whch expans why Easter s aways ceebrated on a
Sunday (t s both eghth and rst day of the week). He ponts out that
the mystery of ths eghth day was known to the prophets and patrarchs
and evdent n ther observaton of crcumcson on the eghth
day. But the fu meanng had been hdden unt Chrsts resurrecton
on the eghth day.631 In the ast chapter of hs (ity of Aod, Augustne
625 Cement of Aexandra, Strom. 4.25.
626 Irenaeus, 2aer. 1. 11-12.
627 Acts of 7ohn 95, trans. |. Keth Eott, The Apocryphal 0e1 Testament (Oxford:
Oxford Unversty Press, 1993), 319.
628 Theodotus, -#cerpt. 80.
629 Pho, TA 1.75; 3.49. For an anayss of the atter ssue see Kar Staehe, 'ie
Wahlenmysti% bei Philo von Ale#andria (Lepzg: B.G. Teubner, 1931).
630 Cement of Aexandra, Strom. 5.
631 Augustne, -p. 55.13.23; see aso Serm. 260a.2-3, 260a.4. See Renhart Staats,
"Ogdoas as en Symbo fur de Auferstehung," 6( 26 (1972), 29-53.
dscusses the perpetua Sabbath-the eterna repose. Countng each of
the ages as one day, he cams that the sxth age, whch s comng to an
end, w usher n the tme of bessng and esure before the begnnng
of the new, eterna day (the eghth day of the Lord), whch w grant
rest to both body and sou.632 Ths cacuaton was echoed n some
manuscrpts of the Aregorian Sacramentary, where sx s sad to stand
for the present age, seven for the age of rest, and eght for the tme of
the genera resurrecton.633
Whether a octagona baptsteres or fonts were speccay but to
reect ths numeroogca sgncance or not, they subsequenty coud
have been nterpreted as dong so.634 In ether case, the octagon symbozed
the resurrecton of Chrst and the resurrecton of each newymade
Chrstan. The baptstery tsef pre-gures the destnaton of a
|ourney to heaven as we as the renewa of creaton. Ths paradsaca
dmenson s reected n the conography of trees, owers, frut, and
brds, whch appears n the nteror decoraton of certan baptsteres
(e.g., S. Govann n Fonte, Napes and the font at Bekata).635
6.2.3. The +ont as :omb
Severa of the fonts dscussed above have shapes that suggest a womans
vuva (cf. gs. 5.17-18). Ths desgn may have been speccay
74
ntended to emphasze the motf of rebrth from the womb of a sprtua
mother. The canddate passes through the waters of the font by
descendng a few steps on one end, processng through the we of the
font, and ascendng up and out the other sde. Some schoars have further
proposed that round fonts (e.g., S. Govann n Fonte, Napes-
g. 5.5) aso symbozed the materna womb.636
632 Augustne, (iv. 22.30.
633 See Henry A. Wson, The Aregorian Sacramentary under (harles the Areat
(London: Henry Bradshaw Socety, 1915), 304; aso cted n Underwood, "The Fountan
of Lfe," 83, n. 161.
634 Not a schoars beeve the octagona shape was ntentonay-or dentvey-
syumboc. See De Baauw, Kutgebaude, 340, for exampe. De Baauw argues that the
baptsterys octagona shape was meant, prmary, to enhance turgca movement
wthn the space. Nevertheess, baptsma fonts are st octagona n many modern
churches, wth tte obvous functona purpose.
635 For an anayss of a partcuar baptstery that appes Pythagorean mathematca
symbos as we as Eucdean geometry see Trnc, "I battstero," 563-91. Baptsma
fonts are st, commony, desgned as octagona.
636 See Daves, Architectural Setting, 21-2.
248 chapter sx
The rst menton of baptsm as a form of rebrth occurs n the Gospe
of |ohns recountng the Pharsee Ncodemus confuson over |esus
cam that those not born from above woud not see the Kngdom of
Heaven (|ohn 3.3-5). Athough |esus rebukes Ncodemus for beng so
tera-mnded as to thnk that he meant that they woud need to reenter
ther mothers womb, eary Chrstans fary qucky adopted the
dea that ths was exacty what he ntended. In a reatvey short tme,
wrters cted the Ncodemus story when referrng to baptsm as a form
of regeneraton. For exampe, |ustn Martyrs descrpton of baptsm
ncudes a reference to the |ohannne text, when he descrbes canddates
beng ed to a pace where they coud be regenerated n water.
Sghty revsng the Gospe text, he refers to Chrst as assertng that
"uness you be born agan |vs. born from above| you sha not enter
the Kngdom of Heaven."637 Ths appcaton of the |ohn 3 text soon
ed to the descrpton of the church as a sprtua mother who had a
baptsma font for a womb.
Ths symbosm was reected n the Lateran nscrptons reference
to new Chrstans beng conceved n the womb (font) of the vrgna
mother church, whch was fertzed by the breath or sprt of God
(spirante 'eo).638 Leo I, probaby the author of those nscrbed verses,
wrote a homy on |esus natvty that ncorporates anaogous expressons
and emphaszes the paraes between |esus concepton and the
concepton-eadng to rebrth-of new Chrstans:
It s a sprtua brth that each one acqures n regeneraton. To every
one who s reborn, the water of baptsm s ke the Vrgns womb. The
same Hoy Sprt s the font as ed the Vrgn, so that the sn that was
nued there by that sacred concepton may be removed aso here by
the mystc washng.639
The mage of the font beng fertzed by the Hoy Sprt and so concevng
and gvng brth to a sacred progeny from heaveny semen s
graphcay reected n Paunus of Noas verses for Severus baptstery
at Prmuacum (cted above).640
637 |ustn Martyr, B Apol. 61.
75
638 See the dscusson of ths text above, Chap. 5, pp. 187-8.
639 Leo I, 2om. 24.3, trans. author (SC 22:114). See aso Leo I, 2om. 25. The mpregnaton
of the font s st symbozed n some baptsma turges by the dppng of the
pascha cande nto the font as part of the bessng of the water n the Easter Vg.
640 See text and transaton above, Chap 5, pp. 209-10; Paunus of Noa, -p. 32.5.
The church as the pure and vrgna spouse of God and the mother
of Chrstans s a generay understood mage, of course, but many
eary texts speccay descrbe the font as a womb-the pace of the
concepton, gestaton, and brth of the new beevers baptsm-thus
ganng a new Father and Lord of the Unverse. Irenaeus, who ntroduced
the church as a mother gure, aso speaks of the church as the
mother who ohers the regeneraton of a second brth out of her pure,
vrgna womb.641
Ths mage of mother church wth a font for a womb was especay
popuar wth the North Afrcan wrters who nssted on the necessty
of beng wthn the cathoc communon (vs. a heretca or schsmatc
one). They expaned ths as beng egtmatey born from the true
mothers womb, an mage partcuary favored by Cypran, whose
treatse on the unty of the church uses anguage that amost evokes
a pagan earth goddess: "She spreads her branches abudanty over a
the earth, she extends her owng rvers even further; yet one s the
head, one the source, one the mother who s proc n her ohsprng,
generaton after generaton: of her womb are we born, of her mk are
we fed."642
Later Afrcan theoogans transformed ths magery sghty durng
the controversy over readmsson of schsmatc Donatsts to the cathoc
communon. Emphaszng the symbo of the church as the true
Brde of Chrst, Optatus of Mevs cams that the Donatsts msconstrued
the nature of a dowry, whch beongs ony to the brde, and
cannot be transferred to some other woman.643 Augustne compares
those rst baptzed by Donatsts to chdren born outsde of egtmate
marrage (e.g., Ishmae, born to Hagar n Gen 16, or the sons of |acob
born to Bhah and Zpah n Gen 30). Whereas Ishmae was dsnherted
because he refused to return to hs sprtua mother, Sarah, a
|acobs sons receved equa nhertance, no matter who ther mother
641 Irenaeus, 2aer. 4.33.11; cf. 2aer. 3.4.1; 3.24.1-6; and 5.20.2 (where he descrbes
the churchs "nourshng bosom"). On the theme of the church as mother see |ensen,
"3ater -cclesia," 137-54; Tmoteo |ose Orfraso, S.|., The $aptismal +ont9 A Study of
Patristic and Liturgical Te#ts (Dss. pub. Pontco Isttuto Lturgco: Rome, 1990),
80-98; Water Bedard, The Symbolism of the $aptismal +ont (Washngton, DC: Cathoc
Unversty Press, 1951); and |oseph C. Pumpe, 3ater -cclesia9 An !nquiry into the
(oncept of the (hurch as 3other in -arly (hristianity (Washngton, DC: Cathoc
Unversty Press, 1943).
642 Cypran, 8nit. eccl. 5. trans. author. See aso dem, -p. 73.19.2; Laps. 2.9. The
dea of the church as mother appears frequenty n Cyprans wrtngs.
643 Optatus of Mevs, 'onat. 2.10.
250 chapter sx
was-because they stayed wthn the extended famy. As a resut,
those who rebeed aganst ther mothers, ke Esau (Gen 26.34-35),
were re|ected, but those who eventuay and contrtey came home, ke
the Prodga Son (Luke 15) were warmy receved. Dherent baptsma
wombs mght produce chdren who woud need to be |oned-
76
eventuay-to the true famy to receve ther nhertance.644
In hs sermons devered to catechumens preparng for baptsm,
Augustne aso ctes Roman 8.22-23, referrng to the baptsma font
as mother churchs uterus, groanng n abor to brng forth her chdren.
He urges canddates not to agtate that womb wth ther mpatence
and thus constrct the brth cana.645 After ther baptsm, he
remnds them that ther second brth s competey dherent from
the rst. Whereas ther brth to the word was the resut of the mngng
of human esh the second s from the mngng of God and
the church; they have been born to Chrst, as ohsprng of mother
church.646 No matter what ther chronoogca age, for the rst week
of Easter Augustne addresses the neophytes as nfants (infantes) or
tte chdren (parvuli).647
Ambrose, for hs part, emphaszes the suherng-free vrgna
parturton, both of Marys brngng forth |esus and the fonts brthng
of new Chrstans. He adds that the church nourshed ts ohsprng
by the teachng of the Apostes, rather than by the mk of her body.648
In one of hs Psam commentares, he ponts out that the nudty of
the canddates renforces ther status as newy born babes.649 Theodore
of Mopsuesta comments that the neophytes whte garments make
them ook ke swadded nfants.650 Theodore tes those enterng the
font that they are ke fertzed embryos beng paced nto the womb.
Formed by Gods hand, these seeds are transformed from morta to
mmorta, from corruptbe to ncorruptbe (cf. 1 Cor 15.53-54).651
644 Augustne, $apt. 1.10.14; 4.17; Augustne, Serm. 56.
645 Augustne, Serm. 216.7. See aso Augustne, Sers. 119.4 and 121.4. 1. Aso compare
Augustnes contemporary Ouodvutdeus of Carthages expanaton of the creed
to catechumens n whch he expans that they have been born n the womb of the
church, Symb. 1.
646 Augustne, Serm. 228.1-2.
647 Augustne, Sers. 376a.1; 260; 260a.4; 228.1; and Augustne, -p. 55.32.
648 Ambrose, -#p. Luc. 2.7; 6irg. 1.6.31; 3yst. 9.5; Sacr. 3.2.
649 Ambrose, -#p. Ps. 61.32.
650 See Theodore of Mopsuesta on the swaddng cothes anaogy, $apt. hom. 4.1.
651 Theodore of Mopsuesta, $apt. hom. 3.9.
|ohn Chrysostom aso extos the marveous fecundty of the mother
and her womb. He exats the mother who can brng so many chdren
forth from her womb n a snge nght.652 He auds the mother who,
ke Mary the mother of |esus, can bear her chdren wthout the brth
pans that were Eves curse.653 Zeno of Verona smary contrasts the
rst (human) brth wth the second (sprtua) one. In vvd (even dsturbng)
terms he characterzes the one as accompaned by groanng,
trava, sordd rags, and babes nourshed n thy crades wth the
other as foowed by sweet feedng at fragrant atar ras.654 He prases
the "mky qud of the font" as the sweet womb of the vrgn mother
where the new peope are formed and brought to brth.655
These texts underscore the sutabty of a womb-shaped font for a
baptstery. The canddates enter ths womb naked and emerge from
the water-ed womb as f from a mothers brth cana. Ncodemus
queston s answered n the turgca rte of baptsm: ths s how t s
possbe to re-enter the mothers womb and to be reborn.
77
6.3. 'ecorative 3otifs
A number of conographc themes reguary show up n the exstng
decoratve programs of baptsma chambers. Athough the survvng
evdence probaby consttutes ony a representatve porton of
what coud have been a more expanded cataogue of mages, these
themes must have been deemed sutabe because they conveyed certan
meanngs or auded to aspects of the baptsma rtua n vsua,
symboc form. |esus baptsm by |ohn as portrayed n the two
Ravenna baptsteres (gs. 3.10-11) and n the seventh-century Ponzanus
Catacomb fresco (g. 5.4) s an obvous choce.656 The dove of
the Hoy Sprt, as seen n those same baptsteres and n the fonts at
Keba (g. 5.20) and Oued Rame, s aso a coherent conographc
theme.657 The foowng dscusson consders the possbe sgncance
652 |ohn Chrysostom, (atech. illum. 4.1.
653 |ohn Chrysostom, 2om. 7o. 26.1.
654 Zeno of Verona, !nv. font. 1 (Tract. 1.32); and !nv. font. 3 (Tract. 2.28). Compare
Ephrem, 2ymn 6irg. 7.7-8.
655 Zeno of Verona, !nv. font. 4 (Tract. 1.55); and !nv. font. 7 (Tract. 1.12).
656 In partcuar n Chap. 1, pp. 27-8.
657 See dscusson n Chap. 3, pp. 112-3. The mosac n the Abenga Baptstery aso
shows doves, but n ths case because there are tweve of them, they probaby represent
the tweve apostes.
L(5(n3 7#'%) 8I1#3%+ S*1.2&% #nd S%''(n3 u D2cu1%n' 9n:(3# $d,
Architecture

78

An Orthodox church as a church building of Eastern Orthodoxy has a distinct, recognizable style
among church architectures.
History
While sharing many traditions, East and West in Christianity began to dierge !rom ea"h other
!rom an early date# Whereas the basili"a, a long aisled hall $ith an a%se at one end, $as the most
"ommon !orm in the West, a more "om%a"t "entralised style be"ame %redominant in the East#
&hese "h'r"hes $ere in origin (martyria( !o"'sed on the tombs o! the saints)s%e"i!i"ally, the
martyrs $ho had died d'ring the %erse"'tions, $hi"h only !'lly ended $ith the deathbed
"onersion o! the Em%eror Constantine# &hey "o%ied %agan tombs and $ere roo!ed oer by a
dome $hi"h symbolised heaen# &he "entral dome $as then o!ten s'rro'nded by str'"t'res at the
!o'r %oints o! the "om%ass %rod'"ing a "r'"i!orm sha%e * these $ere themseles o!ten to%%ed by
to$ers or domes# &he "entralised and basili"a str'"t'res $ere sometimes "ombined as in the
"h'r"h o! Hagia +o%hia in Constantino%le# &he basili"an east end then allo$ed !or the ere"tion o!
an i"onostasis, a s"reen on $hi"h i"ons are h'ng and $hi"h "on"eals the altar !rom the
$orshi%%ers except at those points in the liturgy when its doors are opened#
, ariant !orm o! the "entralised "h'r"h $as deelo%ed in -'ssia and "ame to %rominen"e in the
16th "ent'ry# Here the dome $as re%la"ed by a m'"h thinner and taller hi%%ed or "oni"al roo!
$hi"h, it is said, originated !rom the need to %reent sno$ !rom remaining on roo!s# .ne o! the
!inest e/am%les o! these tented "h'r"hes is +t# 0asil1s in -ed +2'are in 3os"o$#
4or a long time "h'r"hes and aristo"rati" %ala"es $ere dominating in the art o! ar"hite"t're,
there!ore the eol'tion o! .rthodo/ "h'r"hes are %resented in great detail in arti"les 50y6antine
ar"hite"t're7 and 5-'ssian ar"hite"t're7# 8nli9e Western Christian ar"hite"t're $ith its
tenden"ies o! modernity :see, e#g#, ;ier%ool 3etro%olitan Cathedral or <otre =ame d' Ha't>,
.rthodo/ ar"hite"t'ral style remains largely "onseratie and traditional# .ne notable and
ar"hite"t'rally im%ortant e/"e%tion is 4ran9 ;loyd Wright1s design o! ,nn'n"iation ?ree9
.rthodo/ Ch'r"h in Wa'$atosa, Wis"onsin, in the 8nited +tates#
&erminology
@n the -'ssian lang'age :similar to other East +lai" lang'ages> a generalA%'r%ose $ord !or
5"h'r"h7 istserkov# When s%o9en in an e/alted sense, the term khram :BCDE>, 5tem%le7, is 'sed
to re!er to the "h'r"h b'ilding as a &em%le o! ?od :Khram Bozhy># &he $ords 5"h'r"h7 and
5tem%le7, in this "ase are inter"hangeableF ho$eer, the term 5"h'r"h7 :?ree9G HIIJKLMN> is !ar
more "ommon in English# &he term 5tem%le7 :?ree9G ONPQ> is also "ommonly a%%lied to larger
"h'r"hes# +ome !amo's "h'r"hes $hi"h are o""asionally re!erred to as tem%les in"l'de Hagia
+o%hia, +aint 0asil1s Cathedral, Cathedral o! Christ the +aio'r, &em%le o! +aint +aa#
+ome "h'r"hes hae a s%e"ial stat's and re!erred to as soborny khram :"RSRCTUV WCDE> or
sim%ly sobor, !rom the .ld -'ssian $ord !or 5gathering7# @n ?ree9, dio"esan sees are re!erred to
as INXHYZ[IPQ ONPQ# @n -'ssian, a "athedral is a 5sobor7 :-'ssianG \D]^_CDàTUV
79
bRSRC, kafedralny sobor># &he seat o! the catriar"h is "alled a 5%atriar"hal sobor7 :dDeCfDCgfV
bRSRC, Patriarchiy sobor># &he main "h'r"h o! a monastery may also "alled a 5sobor7# @! a
bisho% b'ilds a ne$ sobor !or his "athedra, the old "h'r"h retains its stat's o! a sobor# &he stat's
o! sobor may be assigned only by the catriar"h#
&he mahor "h'r"h in a monastery is "alled a "atholi"on :?ree9G INXiJ[IPO>, and may be resered
!or mahor seri"es, lesser seri"es being "elebrated in other "h'r"hes in the monastery#
, "h'r"h inde%endent o! lo"al e%ar"hy is "alled 5sta'ro%egial sobor7 :?ree9 ! means
5mo'nting o! the "ross7># 4or e/am%le, %atriar"hal sobors are sta'ro%egial ones#
,nother 9ind o! e/traAe%ar"hial "h'r"hes are ho'se "h'r"hes, $hi"h belong to ho'seholds#
,r"hite"t're
.rthodo/ "h'r"h b'ildings hae the !ollo$ing basi" sha%es, ea"h $ith its o$n symbolismG
ElongatedG re"tangle, ro'nded re"tangle :oal>, symboli6ing the shi% as the means o!
salation :<oah1s ,r9>
Cr'"i!orm :"ross sha%ed>
+tar sha%ed
Cir"'lar
&he "'%ola instead o! a !lat "eiling symboli6es the s9y# @n -'ssian "h'r"hes, "'%olas are o!ten
to%%ed by an onionAsha%ed dome, $here "rosses are mo'nted# &hese domes are "alled 5heads7
:j`DkD> or 5%o%%yheads7 :ED\RkflD, ED\Rk\D># +ometimes "rosses hae a "res"entAli9e sha%e at
the bottom so that
the sha%e resembles an an"hor, $hi"h symboli6es ho%e !or salation#
&he altar :san"t'ary> is sit'ated in the eastern %art o! the "h'r"h, regardless o! its sha%e# , bell
to$er is atta"hed to :or b'ilt se%arately by> the $estern %art o! the "h'r"h#
&he "h'r"h b'ilding has many symboli" meaningsF %erha%s the oldest and most %rominent is the
"on"e%t that the Ch'r"h is the ,r9 o! +alation :as in <oah1s ,r9> in $hi"h the $orld is saed
!rom the !lood o! tem%tations# 0e"a'se o! this, most .rthodo/ Ch'r"hes are re"tang'lar in
design# ,nother %o%'lar sha%e, es%e"ially !or "h'r"hes $ith large "hoirs is "r'"i!orm or "rossA
sha%ed# ,r"hite"t'ral %atterns may ary in sha%e and "om%le/ity, $ith "ha%els sometimes added
aro'nd the main "h'r"h, or tri%le altars :;it'rgy may only be %er!ormed on"e a day on any
%arti"'lar altar>, b't in general, the symboli" layo't o! the "h'r"h remains the same#
&he Ch'r"h b'ilding is diided into three main %artsG the narthe/ :estib'le>, the nae :the
tem%le %ro%er> and the san"t'ary :also "alled the altar or holy "lace>#
, mahor di!!eren"e o! traditional .rthodo/ "h'r"hes !rom Western "h'r"hes is the absen"e o! any
%e$s in the nae# @n some ethni" traditions o! .rthodo/y, it $as deemed disres%e"t!'l to sit
80
d'ring sermons# Ho$eer in some "h'r"hes in the West and %arti"'larly in the dias%ora "h'r"hes
in the 8+,, %e$s and 9neelers $ere introd'"ed, 'nder the in!l'en"e o! other Christian
denominations#
<arthe/
&he narthe/ is the "onne"tion bet$een the Ch'r"h and the o'tside $orld and !or this reason
"ate"h'mens :%reAba%ti6ed .rthodo/> and nonA.rthodo/ are to stand here :noteG the tradition o!
allo$ing only "on!irmed .rthodo/ into the nae o! the "h'r"h has !or the most %art !allen into
dis'se># @n monasti" "h'r"hes it is 's'al !or the lay %eo%le isiting the monastery to stand in the
narthe/ $hile the mon9s or n'ns stand in the nae# +e%arating the narthe/ !rom the nae are the
-oyal =oors :either be"a'se Christ %asses thro'gh them in the lit'rgy, or !rom the time o! the
0y6antine Em%ire, $hen the em%eror $o'ld enter the main body o! Hagia +o%hia, the Ch'r"h o!
Holy Wisdom, thro'gh these doors and %ro"eed '% to the altar to %arta9e o! the E'"harist># .n
either side o! this %ortal are large brass "andlestands "alled mano#alia $hi"h re%resent the %illars
o! !ire $hi"h $ent be!ore the Hebre$s into the %romised land#
<ae
&he nae is the main body o! the "h'r"h $here the %eo%le stand d'ring the seri"es# @n most
traditional Eastern .rthodo/ "h'r"hes there are no seats or %e$s as in the West, b't
rather stasidia :, highAarmed "hair $ith arm rests high eno'gh to be 'sed !or s'%%ort $hile
standing>F these are 's'ally !o'nd along the $alls# &raditionally there is no sitting d'ring seri"es
$ith the only e/"e%tions being d'ring the reading o! the csalms, and the %riest1s sermon# &he
%eo%le stand be!ore ?od# Ho$eer, many e/"e%tions to this "an be !o'nd in $estern "o'ntries,
es%e"ially the 8+,, $here !amiliarity $ith Catholi" and crotestant "h'r"hes has led to
similarities in "h'r"h !'rnishings# @t is not 'n"ommon to en"o'nter both %e$s and 9neelers#
&he $alls are normally "oered !rom !loor to "eiling $ith i"ons or $all %aintings o! saints, their
lies, and stories !rom the 0ible# 0e"a'se the "h'r"h b'ilding is a dire"t e/tension o! its me$ish
roots $here men and $omen stand se"arately, the .rthodo/ Ch'r"h "ontin'es this %ra"ti"e,
$ith men standin% on the ri%ht and $omen on the left# With this arrangement it is em%hasi6ed
that $e are all e2'al be!ore ?od :e2'al distan"e !rom the altar>, and that the man is not superior
to the woman# @n many modern "h'r"hes this traditional %ra"ti"e has been altered and !amilies
stand together#
,boe the nae in the dome o! the "h'r"h is the i"on o! Christ the ,lmighty
:&'()*Pantokrator, 5-'ler o! ,ll7># =ire"tly hanging belo$ the dome :@n more
traditional "h'r"hes> is 's'ally a 9ind o! "ir"'lar "handelier $ith de%i"tions o! the saints and
a%ostles, "alled the horos#
&he <ae o! an .rthodo/ Ch'r"h "an ary in sha%ensi6e o layo't a""ording to the ario's
traditions $ithin the Ch'r"h# &he t$o most "ommon layo'ts inside .rthodo/ Ch'r"hes sin"e
m'stinian hae been a "r'"i!orm layo't, an o%en s2'arenre"tang'lar layo't, or a more linear
layo't $ith sideAaisles# Ho$eer the latter o! $hi"h has !allen o't o! 'se sin"e the ?reat +"hism,
as it $as more $idely 'sed in Western Ch'r"hes and better s'ited the seri"es "elebrated in
81
them# &he t$o !ormer layo'ts, the o%en s2'are :or rarely, "ir"'lar> and the "r'"i!orm hae been
!o'nd best s'it "elebration o! the =iine ;it'rgy and other .rthodo/ Ch'r"hes# &hese t$o
interior layo'ts tend to be s2'aren"ir"'lar in !orm rather than elongated#
&he "r'"i!orm is the oldest o! the t$o interior layo'ts and seems to be o! 0y6antine origin# @t
"omes !rom the ada%tation o! t$o o! the earliest Christian ar"hite"t'ral !orms, the 0asili"a and
the o"tagonaln"ir"'lar !orm# &he "r'"i!orm "h'r"h o!ten in"l'des sideAaisles similar to the
Western 0asili"a, b't they are o!ten ery short and "'t o%en in the middle leaing a large "ross
sha%e thro'gh the middle o! the "h'r"h# &he o%en s2'aren"ir"le is the ne$er o! the t$o !orms# @t
is most "ommonly !o'nd in Eastern E'ro%ean "h'r"hes o more modern ?ree9 "h'r"hes# &his
"h'r"h retains the earlier s2'aren"ir"'lar sha%e, ho$eer the sideAaisles hae been remoed
o%ening the s%a"e "om%letely# &his has !o'nd $ider 'se a"ross the $orld in more re"ent years
$ith the inention o! steel, as it allo$s !or the dome to be s'%%orted $itho't the need o! massie
ar"hes and "ol'mns $hi"h $ere main !eat'res o! the older "r'"i!orm "h'r"hes#
@"onostasis
&he i"onostasis, also "alled the +,-'*tem"lon, it is a s"reen or $all bet$een the nae and the
san"t'ary, $hi"h is "oered $ith i"ons# &here $ill normally be three doors, one in the middle and
one on either side# &he "entral one is traditionally "alled the Bea#tif#l .ate and is only 'sed by
the "lergy#
&here are times $hen this gate is "losed d'ring the seri"e and a "'rtain is dra$n# &he doors on
either side are "alled the /eacons0 /oors or 1n%el /oors as they o!ten hae de%i"ted on them the
,r"hangels 3i"hael and ?abriel# &hese doors are 'sed by dea"ons and serers to enter the
san"t'ary# &y%i"ally, to the right o! the 0ea'ti!'l ?ate :as ie$ed !rom the nae> is the i"on o!
Christ, then the i"on o! +t#mohn the 0a%tistF to the le!t the i"on o! the &heoto9os, al$ays sho$n
holding ChristF and then the i"on o! the saint to $hom the "h'r"h is dedi"ated :i#e#, the %atron>#
&here are o!ten other i"ons on the i"onostasis b't these ary !rom "h'r"h to "h'r"h# The curtain
is also drawn and opened at various points in the service#
,boe and behind the i"onostasis :i! the i"onostasis does not rea"h the "eiling> is the &-2
)' 3'4'*Platytera ton 5#ranon :5more s%a"io's than the heaens7>, the i"on o! pirgin
3ary $ith Christ blessing all# .il lam%s b'rn be!ore all the i"ons#
+an"t'ary
&he area behind the i"onostasis rea"hed thro'gh the 0ea'ti!'l ?ates or ,ngel =oors is
the sanct#ary oraltar# Within this area is the altar table :image belo$>, $hi"h is more o!ten "alled
the holy table or throneF thea"se "ontaining the hi%h "lace at the "enter ba"9 $ith a throne !or
the bisho% and the synthronos, or seats !or the %riests, on either sideF the 6ha"el of Prothesis on
the north side $here the o!!erings are %re%ared in the cros9omede be!ore being bro'ght to the
altar table and the holy essels are storedF and the /iaconiconon the so'th side $here the
estments are stored#
82
.rthodo/ altars are 's'ally s2'are# &raditionally they hae a heay bro"ade o'ter "oering that
rea"hes all the $ay to the !loor# .""asionally they hae "ano%ies oer them# ,ll Eastern
.rthodo/ altars hae a saint1s reli"s embedded inside them, 's'ally that o! a martyr, %la"ed at the
time they are "onse"rated# ,to% the altar table at the "enter to$ard the ba"9 is an ornate "ontainer
's'ally "alled the taberna"le $here the resered E'"haristi" elements are stored !or "omm'nion
o! the si"9# @t is o!ten sha%ed li9e a model o! a "h'r"h b'ilding# @n !ront o! this is %la"ed the
?os%el boo9, $hi"h 's'ally has a de"orated metal "oer# 8nder the gos%el is a !olded %ie"e o!
"loth "alled the eiliton# 4olded $ithin the eiliton is the antimension, $hi"h is a sil9en "loth
im%rinted $ith a de%i"tion o! the b'rial o! Christ and $ith reli"s se$n into it# 0oth these "loths
are 'n!olded be!ore the o!!erings are %la"ed on the altar table# 0ehind the altar is a seven7
branched candlestick, $hi"h re"alls the seenAbran"hed "andlesti"9 o! the .ld &estament
&aberna"le and &em%le in mer'salem# 0ehind this is a golden %ro"essional "ross# .n either side o!
the "ross are lit'rgi"al !ans :?ree9G ri"idia orhe8a"tery%a> $hi"h re%resent the si/A$inged
+era%him# ,gainst the $all behind the altar is a large "ross# Hanging !rom the "ross is 's'ally a
!lat i"onogra%hi" de%i"tion o! Christ :"or%'s> $hi"h "an be remoed d'ring the 50 days
!ollo$ing cas"ha :Easter>#
&raditionally, no animal %rod'"ts other than $ool and bees$a/ are allo$ed in the altar# @n theory,
this %rohibition "oers leather :in the !orm o! leatherAbo'nd seri"eAboo9s and shoes>, b't this is
not al$ays en!or"ed today# 3oney is also !orbidden# <one may enter the altar $itho't a blessing
!rom the %riest or bisho%, and %ersonal he$elry, s'"h as rings and earrings, is not $orn
:o!tentimes> by those sering there#
:+o'r"eG htt%Gnn$$$#oodegr#"omnenglishne99lisianorthodo/qtem%le#htm>
AGENDA (WHICH IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
MIRACLE: PASCHAS HOLY FIRE CEREMONY
SERVICE: SANCTIFICATION OF THE HOLY MYRRH
MOVIE: PASSION OF THE CHRIST
MOVIE: OSTROV (THE ISLAND)
GENESIS 1!"#!! $ THE (BAHAMIAN) WATERS
PARISH: OUR RECENT SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE
NEWS: REVIVAL OF ORTHODO%Y IN RUSSIA
ORTHODO% $ POTENTIAL ORTHODO% CHRISTIAN(S)
;HA <=>?@
ABCD>CE?FG; HC=HI;<?J; KI?D@;E; >=G=L MIB;
FC>?I? BCG;
XYZ[\]^[9 Y py ps xp pr
rrp, pp y H y p p xph
83
ry, Hy y pyH xpH y s pH
p, p H x y pH yhH, r y y
hH H rpH Hy px xpH.
phH px sp psy pxx p
y H y ry xph H p 4 ys
hx ryx p. s yp x
s p px xphx ryx pp.
_àbcd \dbe: xpH, rr, yh, domus eccesae, p, p,
H, pH, HpyH, HHp, yH, ppyH, p,
p p, , p, s
s rrp psyH
xphr ryr pH pp sH
ryx p, r H px ryx
H s yH x ry p,
Hy p y f[]\gh i]jd[a. p H yH
pH pH, s y pyH xpH ek]la
m]ndocg... c] hgpe[ja a odjd[e b]Z ( 3,1). H x
xpH. q ^]o ndk]rd a âse, tpd, hcgte u]\eceue e t\drceue
ogkgrd e ndk]la Z qZaZgh e Z abdceueh] vdtgjeh ( 9, 10).
ypr rH y, s pH p
1
. xp
x p x x p,
H p H
2
p y r y.
y pys p, ph pH
pyrH yH. p sh y pyH
xpH, H H HH pHpH s s s
y xph p, s ry p,
yH
3
, p p H s
xphr . y pH xphH,
p r, p
py y xpHy r py 70. r, H y
rrH: q gZ[]rd ndoc]^g a c]aue ]YgZ[gpZ^gn, e m]ndoceue, e a
pgh`dwa lpdx], e a hgpe[j]h]. q Zj]ê o]c xdla ndoc]^g ndocgoarcg a
u\^je
4
, e pgh`]la lpdx Yg âs]h], e Y\eh]la l\]ca Z \]ogrsa e a
Y\gZ[g[e Z\u] ( 2,42-46). YH y, pH yH
y
5
, y py p y, y y
1
Y pyp ygZpdow] jdbd\] (Last Supper), s
Hpy pH.
2
z[] nd [g/ ( pH - mn h, y s H - a rpH
) {g nd lpdx ^gne j]h nd |gt o]g m] l\]ca (s 16,15). x H y
y hem.
3
xpp x : h,}algjcgZ[
Y\]jgZp]j`],rp 2001,72-4.
4
. ph p rp pH l\]h (pyH) py u\^j].
5
Y y xpH y H yh H y y y p ,
y, y p: ahe Zd, e c]h]m] Zd e Y\dgxabd Zd* e g[eod a
ogh ~gZYgowe, e Yg^pgce Zd (2 H 12,20). ph pysHy
ps cd ahej]na \a^d Zjgnd ^]o lpdx ndoa ( 15,2). pp
p H y xpH y y, pys
84
py p y H pyry ry, y y
py x p ( 9,10) y H HH, y
rpH py
6
. Y , xph r y
p ph, y p s yx ( 1,5). xy
s y pH H
7
. p pr,
yry hy p y y y H 40
, y b]Zce bd[\odZd[gocdjce YgZ[.
R
Hy
ph ypr
9
, x .
p xphr yr xpH, y y
H x, Hr y yhH xph,
xph s H r p y y Up
yyhr, sp pH xp y Hy H.
y py Up. H
x r, pph H, rpH (s 32,6-18) pH pH
(y s r p y xpHy, pH x ps, y.
U., ixe\^] Ygnhgj] em nao]emh], s. px
yr,rp 1996,22). pH (), HH (),
xpH (), pH (), HH (), prH (), pyH
(), y f[]\gh m]jd[a, a H h rp s
pH rpx Hp . pyH Hy p
y Up r. r pyH ( 8,6). p h h
, h pyy (1 4,16). p pyH ( 15,2). p xph
y ypy pyH H r , y
p s p H r H , p
rp y H pH pH yhH p.
6
yh y rp, p. Y psHy yx H,
py s pH ( 1,13).
7
r y p py, pH pH pH: axe xpewdt Zjgt
( 5,43). Y y p Hh pHH xphH: a gcd o]cd...
^]o Zd od`]rd l\]c] Zj]ê o]c ( 6,1). co] oj]c]dZ[g\eu]... \d^grd: end
Y\epebcg c]h] o] gZ[]jehg \db |gna Y] o] Zpaehg g^g [\Ydm] ( 6,2).
sp Hpy gxdmxdkej]rd Z[gpgjd m] Ze\gh]rcd. y s
y - . H sy pHx, r
p y H, p , o]
ndo]c tp]oand ] o\ate o] Zd gYen] (1p11,17-21).
8
y () r ( 16,29-31;HH 9,1-3;p 6, 9; 2,15;3,5-10).
. y 3yH . y H, y y, sp pH
yH y p s (y sp m]\]wdcg jgsd). p H
pHpH ( 4,2; 4,2) ppy yH H (
6,16-18;9,14-15;17,21; 2,37;5,33-35). y y H ppH y
yy ( 9,9-13;2,14-23; , bd[\odZd[ceu]h], ppy
y H pH (1p 7,5; 2p 6,4-5). p y Hx
Up (, p p, , py).
xy p h ( , bd[\odZd[ceu]h]; X[ecZ^]
Zec[]th] IV,583), y, (H ,X[ecZ^] Zec[]th] V,589-591) p
rH, Y p s r p (y
H ppx H, X[ecZ^] Zec[]th] IV,565-579). fjd[a
bd[\odZd[ceua e Zj]â Z\doa e Yd[]^, [\d] o] YgZ[e Zj]ê bp]c \^jd, Zdh ]^g cend
ZY\dbdc [dpdZcgh cdhgse, Ygo Y\d[wgh Zj\tcas] epe gopabdw] (.p.69).
y ps H H, y yH, sr p p
Hp, H p y p y p Hpx. pyy
Hp. y yy y Hp rpxH (XYgZ[gpZ^d aZ[]cgjd V,20;
VII,23). H p psyH p y y, r H
85
y xpHy. H y xpH, s xph ry
p s, p H pr p ,
sH y p yh, pysHy yry xphx
xpH, px yprx pp. pH xphH
xpHH Hpy r yh y o| y p
y p yH ( 7); H yh y . .
p ( 1,1; 9,11). H, r x yx ;
yh p, H ( 12,12), r y s y
y p p H; yh HH ( 4,15), y
p H; yh psH rpH y H
p
10
... p , s pH
xphH, y yH xpHy ( 5,42),
p, H sp s pH H x
pH HH
11
. y, y p y
H x, p r Hrr p,
xph pysH y y yry y H y xpH.
x Hy 7 ( 21,8)
py s ( 1,23) H ypr y
pyy s ( psyH ) y : tod
Z[]n]la yd[]\ e ]^gj e gj]c e Xco\en], epeY e {gh], ]\[gpghend e
][dn, ]^gj Xpdndj e fehgc iepg[, e ao] ]^gj`dj ( 1,13). H H
pHpy H pH rrp,
pH ryx p s yr xpH y p yh
(domus ecclesiad), y H ('omus 'ei).
y py H p y. y HH pH
H, r (spy H Zalgndodcend). s r yy
y (.p.69)., pH H, nd\ nd [dpg ~gZYgowd pd]pg h\[jg a
tga, [gt] o]c]. r H s H ( 2,20; 5,35). y
(Zalgodcd), p, H , y H pr
, s p, yp H s y (p.223 ghg^]cgc] p
{\dceâ).
9
Zjd o]cd YgZ[] Zjd[d bd[\odZd[ceud, gZeh Zaxg[d e cdod`d, e Zjd[gt] o]c]
|p]tgjdZ[e, c]^] xej] Z]hg e[a\ten] Y\end gZjdsdcel o]\gj] (.p.66.69;
.p.49.50.51.52;py.p.52). o]cd Z[\gtgt] YgZ[] cd Zhd Zd Z]j\re[e Yg[Yac]
e[a\ten], Zdh Zaxg[d e cdod`d, e Zjd[gt] o]c] |p]tgjdZ[e. i]x\]wand Zd ndZ[e Y\d
jdbd\wdt ogx]. yg gYr[gn cg\he \^jd, hgd Zd ndZ[e [d^ YgZpd e[a\tend, ]pe nd
e[a\tena m]x\]wdcg Zpae[e a jdbd, Z[gt] cdh]nase Yg[Yacd e[a\tend, gZjdsdce
o]\gje Zd odpd Z] jdbd\wgh Zpaxgh (py.p.52).
10
gpeh j]Z ngr, x\]sg o] mc][d, m] f[d]cec ogh, o] nd [g ]l]nZê Y\jdc]u, e o] Za
Zd gce Z[]jepe a Zpaxa Zjd[eh] (1p 16,15). H H
yxy Hy H xy ry. X Ygr[g Zd gce Yghgperd |gta, m][\dZd Zd
hdZ[g tod xdla Z]x\]ce, e c]Yacerd Zd Zje }al] fjd[gt], e tgjg\]la \db |gna Z]
Zpgxgogh ( 4,31).
11
}gkd qZaZ ^]o xdla j\][] m][jg\dc], e Z[]od hdka weh] ( 20,26); qZaZ ogkd e amd
lpdx, [d o]od weh], eZ[g []^g e \exa. jg Zd jds [\dse Ya[ qZaZ n]jeg abdceueh],
Ygr[g nd j]Z^\Z]g em h\[jel ( 21,13-14); q ^]o Zdk]rd Z weh] m] [\Ydmgh, amd lpdx e
xp]tgZpgjejre Y\dpghe t] e o]od eh. {]o] eh Zd gbe g[jg\erd e Y\dYgmc]rd t] (
24,30-31). H 3y r y Hh , y, y p,
. ph, p rpHx sp.
86
y yr xpH y p y p. H H
r y p ys y y H (
9,24-25) p h p, xph p p (,p
H " psH, hepen] 18, 3) p py (
9,11-14) s r , H r.
s r p y s yr xpH
xphr ry. H 79. r p xph
, s Hx p
12
. p
h H
13
p. H rrp
pHy ryr H h psyH p
xphx pp. rr py p y
psH H pHr p, Hryh xphH
pH pyr ry, p py xpH
14
.
H ps s y y xph
15
, p
sHp, p x ysH y p
16
. pHH xph
py H pH y y
17
.
ypr, sr r xph y
(die dominica), H y ps x H
r (.p.7,64,70; py.p.11; .p.37,38; pr.p.51,73,106),
y. p xyH s s ypry,
12
H Up y x, yHy, p. p YgZ[]jerd
Z[]\drecd a Ygndoeceh u\^j]h], e Yghgperd Zd am YgZ[ ( r. 14-23).
13
Y p pyp tg\ceu]. p s s y
y py, y yh s (dbce^ Z\YZ^gl\j][Z^gt ^wedjcgt e c]\gocgt
ndme^] <,y s pxp s HY,rp 1966,488).
14
y H , rH H rr y yy,
py, y, p, Hy, , , Hy, H...
15
Hp. xphy sy y y py sHy 50. 52. r, y
p, Hr r, rpr r p. d\ ndoceh oalgh Zje
Zd ^\Z[eZhg a ndocg [dpg, xepe dj\dne, epe ~\ue, epe \gxgje... e Zje Zd ndoceh }algh
c]YgneZhg (1p 12,13). p x p. ps
pHH y. r y ps pH p sH
pHH (py.p.101). s y px ,
H px p Hpx ps, H, ph p
r p ( 8,11), pyy y p Hpx, H p Up
. ph yr p, srpy y H
p H ( pH ps p: jg Za âlewd,
tod sd \[jd c]\gocd âj][e ^gne Zpad ogha (s 46,19-24). y p
p pHH, s py, p H
h. s psyH sx p, h p H
(1p 11,15-21).
16
y x, py, yHy, p ( 13,4-52;14,1-7).
17
rs h yH spy (.p.7), 45. p. spy
prs h H pH (communicatio in sacris). X^g ^gne Ygkd a
xgtghgà naodnZâ epe nd\d[ebâ, cd^] xaod Zj\tca[ - epe gopabdc -
(.p.64). sp Zjd[^gj][e Z] weh] welgjd Y\]mce^d e
Y\eh][e welgjd Y\]mcebcd o]\gjd, ^]g Y\dZcd lpdxgjd (.p.70). d hgd eh][e
cer[] cdjd\ce^ Z] jd\ce^gh (2p 6,15). 3py Y\ecgrdwd a`] a
cdmc]xg]b^g Zjd[eper[d epe naodnZâ Zec]tgta, epe Y]`dwd Zjds], ^]o Za Y\]mceue
welgje, pH y (.p.71).
87
p, H H r, y yy. pH
spH s 3. , p p "omn popu"
pyr H py (.p.2).
s 4. . ypr, p r
sp x pp p p y r
p p: ] Z]h lpdx ejg[] ( 6,35). x r
y, y , y y
s s y. H sH r x, p ps.
H ps y p s f[]\gt i]jd[]. ps
pHp y Up p f[]\gt i]jd[], h
p sp, H pr xph.
yyp s psx yyp pr, yrp y
ypr pH pp H y Up, h
s H. p y yyp p
pyr, pysH prx p, y ,
pHy H, pH HrH pH ys
Hry py. y y y Hy
py: p eje... Yg jgè |gngn (1 4,2).
ph p yxy pH H, s pH
y p p sH Hp H, p nd Y\eY]o]p]
|gta ( 25,23), Hr p. X gc em]r]jre Ygbd hcgtg
Y\gYgjdo][e... drd c]Ygà a YaZ[eh hdZ[eh], e ogp]]la ^ vdha Z]
Zjel Z[\]c] ( 1,45). X ^]o Zekd Z tg\d, m] veh ek]rd c]\go] hcgtg
( 8,1). q m]Ygjdoe c]\goa o] YgZdo]na Yg [\]je* Y] amd gcel Yd[
lpdxgj] e ojd \exd, e Ygtpdo]jre c] cdxg xp]tgZpgje, e Y\dpghejre
o]od abdceueh] Zjgneh, ] abdceue c]\goa ( 17,14).
H, p xpH p ry H pH
ppy xy h
18
.
H Hpy pHp h . y s p (y
ry . r y (H 15,19; 2H
4,10), s pH Hp y pH p H).
ry y Hr H H Hy ( 4,21) y
p H p p xpha H Hy
19
s H. H pr ps
r , H y y, yH psx
s, ps s Hy yH. H ,
yx r , y p yx
yy py sy y p. 3 y xpH
xp x ppH p y y
Hrr pyrr . 3 H p
18
O.Woh,Tempelmasse. 'as Aeset. der Proportion in den anti%en und altchristlichen
Sa%ralbauten,Wen 1932,15. h , H pp, xy H s
, ppH p (1Up 18,4) xp y ( 23,11;
23,20).
19
.3sy, ,xp Up , |dZdo] 6,(2004),13.
88
(-)
20
y yhH, y H p (1p 10,16). s
px H, p y p, y x
rsp, xp , H y .
pH ppyy r pH, y yhH y xpHH,
y 4. y y xpHH sp H
21
. sHy
3. 4. , xy s
22
xpHy, s x
y H r. . yry r, y 4.
y, y , px s pH
ps.
Y pH pr xph, sH px sp
y, r p rpH
Hy. y y H yp h x
rp, yh py H HH pp p.
H p px xph y
ry rpH Hy (r y HppyH,
), y HH. H y p h h
s p (h, , pH, ppyH, p)
23
.
p H y y y,
y, , spy,
24
... Hy H Hr y
yH xpH. s s xphr xpH, s xy :
(1p 11,17), ,
25
dominica
26
( p y),
dominicum ( y y Up), domus (p yh),
27
, ecclesia, ( 19,32),
( 4,31), locus in quo erant congregati, ,
, (H 16,4). Y y H
s H y y ( rr ) p
20
H pH pH ]t]Yd, s s y p xy s
yyp ryr pp (H.Lecerq,'ictionnaire darchIologie (hrIstienne et de
liturgie X/2,Pars 1925,2376-2486).
21
rp.p.11;.p.27,28;pr.p.42;py.p.74. ,H Hy y HH y
hH, y pH, p r (-noi, [\]Ydm x\][gpxK, y rp
xpH pp". pyr p, y p
r p H sp p r y pH, h pH
H 4. . y p r, y
py spy, ph yH H spy pp. ,H Hy
y H rpH Up pH, p".
rp, p, y xpH (), pp p pH,
pyH p (.p.73;py.p.74,76,97).
22
4prH x , y ys y y sp y y HH.
ps pHp s 4. py s rp yH s
Lp, |.
23
usebus Caesarenss,'e 6ita (onstantini LIII, 48, |.P.Mgne,Patrologia latine tantum
edta,XIII.
24
usebus Caesarenss, 2istoria ecclesiae,LVII,22.
25
y p: y HH sy ,irche, y pH uH\^gj.
26
p.p.15; .p.28.
27
Xioiovo ( - ) ckkAqoio ( ) p y Hy
y 11,26. p s p: chiesa (y H) lIglise (y
pyH sy).
89
sr H x, H H h ryy
yhy y - ( 12,4), ,
(p.p.15; .p.28), domus 'ei, domus ecclesiae, tituli, ,
ooiAikq
28
, o, , , basilica). Up H r r py,
r y H px - ( 21,13; 11,7;
19,46), domus orationis, ( 16,13), locus precum faciendarum,
oratorium ( 16,16) y H: , -,

29
. ph p xy s templum
30
.
s ps pyy H ry xph H p 3
.
p y xph , p
xph s y pyHy ( 8,1).
prsxy y p y pH ppH,
xy H pry ( 20,7-12). Y 1. y,
p xpH s pyH, y x ( 11,20-26), p
pp xph s pyH. pH 2. , p
p pspy pyH, rH psH ry
H rp (Aelia capitolina), r y s
y xphy y
31
. 3. , xph yyy
prpyy y yh (domus ecclesiae, tituli, dominica)
32
. Y H
p pyH, pHpyH, xy pyr
srp (yps), ps pp s y
py s ry p, p
pH, pHpyHH
33
, ppH y H xy
r p s pH H sr ypr,
pp s p, , r pr
34
28
, LIII, 52. Up H, p y Up pH, H p.
29
,LX, .3.
30
p p , xph sr H, p y H s xpH
s. xph p pr y s,
s s, x rp pp y xph
s, pH ys y ypy p s py, y Hy
ryr pp, rp , r y H
rpy.
31
y pH p
pyH ppxy (H. p.7), p p r rp p
Palestina prima.
32
-nci%lopedia li%ovnih umetnosti 4,309.
33
pp y H spH H rpyH, p
p p, y y y p y Hx p, p
pH HpHs. pp ys py, p y y H
HH 5. 6. .
34
Y pH H p y y py pr y y h (1 p
16,2). y y pH HH pH s . H p y
p pr py pH ps p. p y y
(y yp s , Hp s y Hs s Hp ),
H, , . pyp, . p. 3,
s pyr p py H r p s,
lpd e jecg ( 26,26-28; 22,17-20). Y H Hy p
90
(p y Dura-Europos rp p . y
Hy). H p (St. Grsogono y Hy, p 1 y )
y y py Hp sHy 260. 300. r. p y
yspy y ps
35
.
H
36
y sH rp, x psHp, y y
pxph H s coemeterius catacumbas
hypogaeum (pyH, rp). Hs H, p
p
37
(yy). H y
sHH rpH pr p, p y
pyyh y , pHy
38
. ph
r y pHH pys p pHyx
y

HH
39
. y rp pH 1. ,
y H pH Hr p (Hy, Hyy,
pys, , p, p`y, s). ph H
rp pH r r, pyr 3. ,
p p 4. . p y H y
y s xp pHyx
40
, y pH pr
xph H s xp, p y y
yp p pH yH. p py ypy y H
px p Up, Hp sH. , , rp, y
H y p , x r. 4. p
p r pyrr , y Hy y pspy,
py, p y p p, x p sp
pyrx y Up (HH, H, y\]jep] y\]jgZp]jcd
\^jd Z] [ah]bdwdh. 1, H 1895,47-8).
35
P.Bauer, M.Rostovezeh, The e#cavation in 'ouraF-uropos 15, New Heaven 1952,132.
36
H ]d catacombas s p sHy 2. 3. H - ^\]nYa[]r],
H yy y Hy (F.Mancne, The (atacombs of Rome, Frenza 1984,13).
37
-nci%lopedia li%ovnih umetnosti 3,159.
38
H r y p 2. yy pHy,
p xyHy y HH.
39
Leonard Rutger, pp Ypsy Utrecht y (www:Dd Chrstans
copy |ewsh catacombs-Lve scence-MSNBC_com.htm, 5.12.2005) p y p
rp H, h r r p xph. Hr sy
spy y pp yrH pHp, pr
sH H (Va Torona). 60 H px y Hy, H y
p, py H s H 1. , y Hy.
Y y p xph xp. y H
y p y , pr, p, y, p,
, . p y rp H pys rx H
(.4h,,p Hr ys pr xr y xph ry
pp", f{} 2012), yH y x xpyy x ,
xp y x, y r xph r xyH
pys x, p ps p.
40
y p H H pry xp yyp rp y sHH
rpH (3ausoleum). p, p pxp, xpyy y
pH. p , p y xp y p .
y Uprpy, ys rp 12 . pH y xp rp,
y pH, s pyrx, ypy. rp px
xph sr , xy prs p Hp,
y Hryh rp H.
91
s yH Hy rp Hy, yxy
y prH xphH
41
. Hy y s
x ypr
42
, h pH, yrH xy s s
ry p H yx
43
. xp p y
pxH, pyH pH pH yyp,
HppyHH s Hx H (St. Sotere, (apella graeca,
H . ). H r pp y HH s
, r y p. Hp y
y y p ryH (y sx
H sHH), y 3. y p y Up.
pxph H Hy H H sHx
x, x y pH yrH,
y. r y rp p (h 5),
Hy sx H. Y x H
HH y pp p rp hx pp, y y
rp (cubicula cryptae) ry pp. H x
pp y Hy y, yy p,
p y sHy pxypy. H rp y sy y
sH x rp, p y ps y sH
H
44
. xp yx y yp
x . H y h , 1. 3.
, ppH HH s Hr, h
pHp pHr pr p (p p p), y 3.
y psH H (ps p Upr Hp, ,
).H y p y H xphr
p. Hp y H H yy y
Hy; py pp 6 xp Hy 235 pp
45
.
s H H pH y rp HHp
p.
41
Y y pxy y y H yp yh (www:from |esus to chrst the rst
crstans n the catacombs.htm,5.1.2006).
42
h h y y H y H y
s. Hy p y x p rH, sH pH
ryH HH.
43
. yrp y y HH s ,
H hH, p rH H, p
s H pxphx r.
44
Y sH y sy yry pyr (loculi) y sp
pH H, sp xpsH HH
H. H H s H prs H
(ry, p, r, p, p HrpH) sH .
45
s rpx s, H py rpH HH.
p y s Hp y y rp px
rpHx rp. H y p y y yrx x syx y
y p.
92
Y y (+ thermae)
46
2. y
rp rp y pH p H,
H px yh. Y H s
py yyp , p pp s p xr
(y y x ) s py px (Hy,
Hs pHH yH, y H ), H y
s psy, p s, psrp, p
p , y r p r H s
y px xph. H y y py
13 xp ( pH). pH xy y ,
pyr rp, spxy H. ypy
y xph prpyy, ph r s p,
syh H ppyH
47
s p
xyH, rpyyh y py. ppyH (oratorii)
48
y
p a (pH) pa s (yh s
r ) rH rp, s ys rp
Hy
49
, H p p s p. ppyH
y rp p H y H H, 313.
r, y sH sp y pH p y, p
y ps y s H x H Hy
50
.
p (
51
, crypta) pp y
p p rp
52
. y p y pHH
xpHH H y yx pH (ps), x
xph y pH r, p ry pp
rp s rp pH ph
53
. Y H H
p y rp y y r sHr pp p,
46
Hy y p-H yyp, y pHH py, y
sx x H y (|.Marquardt und Th.Mommsen,'as Privatleben der
RPmer,Lapzg 1893,103; E.Pfretzschner,'ie grundrissent1ic%lung der rPmanischen
Thermen, Strasbourg 1909, ps).
47
x ppyH y y py, :
O.Wuh,Altchristiche und by.antiische ,unst I,1914; E.Dygve,2istory of Salonitan christianity,
Oso 1951,ps. ppyH y pxph pp y y
y sy, r p s y y ypr px,
y s p px p.
48
H p y y pH 3y ( 9,1), y oratorium,
y rpH sy , ys H H (, tus) () s
pH H (, cilicio). yyh y H y, p
y, yh H (, cinere) Hyh. pH pH
p p s pH r H p .
49
G.B.Ross,Roma sotterranea cristianam,Roma 1864,67. xy ry p
rH, H s rpH Hy, s x
memoriae.
50
sp sp y ypr y pH psH (H pH
Hy ppyH), H y yH y y y s y
, sp y, y pH HxH y
psH Hyhx y (|ustnanus,0ovellae constitutiones 58,131).
51
p , s p, p.
52
nci%lopeia li%ovnih umetnosti 3,@=>.
93
H xp Hy, px yrx
s r , xy y spy yy ps
() y y xp p. ph p
Hy ypy
54
.
Y pH H, xp p y H
pH, s y p xphH rpH
(confesiones, memoria, memoriae)
55
HH r y Hy
p rp (
56
, hartyrium). y y p
y p p x p H s y
57
. Y
H y (, ). H y
y rp. 3. , y p
HyH s, pH H pH y
58
,
Hyp y dcgpgtena
59
p II p px
. y Hy. y H h p
rp
60
(r py ) HH H
p H pH pyH. ps y s
px x xp ( )
61
Hys
()
62
, y y s xp x Hy
63
.
y s H yry y yH pHy, s
53
px p p rp y HH . p .
p y Hy.
54
y p s 4 s 5. y H; p ys
ppy sy U y UpH rpy s 6. (p
s pp, y p p ph s
yH H, H p s p, sHy x y
ps, y py. ys , y p p s
p), s 7. , y Up . p y Hy, s y p r
p ypy p . y y p y
py (H xpyy pHyx Hx), p, y
x hx p, y y sx rp, h . Y H y
H xp p p y s y.
55
Augustnus Enarr., In Psam LXV n.4; 'e civiti 'ei LXXII, c 10.
56
thanasus, -p. ad monachos sive solitarios ( ); Ioannes Crysostomus,
2omiliae @D in ep. 2. ad (orinthanes. H HrH HH y f[]\gh m]jd[a y
sy s .
57
s h p Hy y pyy, ry y 5. y,
HysH . , y y pyHy s, :
E.Dyggve, ,Probeme des atchrstchen Kutbaus", Weitschrift fur ,irchen%unde (1940).
58
ys Staatlische y py.
59
y y y Hy.
60
r y x, p h py, s pr rp, p
HH, s H pr s, y pyHy. H p
r HppyH, Hy pr p, y Hy, yr
s (G.Babc,Les (hapelles anne#es des eglises by.antines, Pars 1969, ps).
61
pH ry y y r y, r rp.
62
yp p rp. Hs pH Hy y
4. y , p pHs r H Hyy ysy, pH py.
Up s H, xph Hys hp
(St. (onstance) y Hy, s 354. r (px pyH),
: O.Wof,Altchristische und by.antinische ,unst II, HDKW, Bern-Neubabesberg
1913,4.
94
y s hdhg\end
64
. p y H r pHy
s HHp, H r s s rp
(p y Hy, . p y Hy). ]\[e\enahe y s
y rp (sub divo), y pH H xy p
ry sp yH Hy , Hr y
h hy ( )
65
, Up
r, y r p . y y y y
HppyH h, s y p p
66
. HH
HppyH HHp, s y s -
, py p ry y H
pp. y px rp (cella trichora), y
H s p x s
67
. p
px rp sH y H rpH s 3.
(p). y pxphx s,
p r p rp HHp h (curi])
68
.
p (, baptisterium)
69
y xph s
s p. p p (H 6,4) y p
yH HH y pH ( 1,4-5) y s s
ry pp, H yhH y H y p
y p pr H x ( 10,39). y s
H s y h hH H, pHH, ppyHH
70
.
pxr rp y p h y
HH. p ypH xyH y y s
71
,
y pp
72
, H pr s .
ypry. pyH p rp ys s, yrp
y p, H 4. .
63
E. Dygve, y H y, H HppyH . p y yy, .
H y pH, . y pyy, s x y
H 4. 5. ps HyH s.
64
A.Grabar,Le martyrium I, Pars 1946,103-119.
65
Athanasus Bbothecarus, 2istoria ecclesiae e# Theophane, PG 180,1215.
66
Paun Noan, -pist. < ad Alypium et epist. @D ad Sebastianum.
67
s y y, . y y, . p y
y h s Hy H pyr pp pp, x H
ppy (yp y yp).
68
., ,pr py pxphx s ",Adriatica
Praehistorica et Antiqua, 3p p h pry Hy (1970),667-689.
69
p p s s H H, H s s
y x .
70
F.Gross Gond,! monumenti christiani iconografci et architecttonici dei sei primi
secoli, 1923.
71
.p.50: Hp p ppyH rpyH (, immersio).
yHy p : HH, H,y\]jep] y\]jgZp]jcd
\^jd Z] [ah]bdwdh. 1,H 1895,11). p p s
H, p y yH hx Hs pspx
(H s, ), sHyy s (piscina).
72
N.Mosevc, "To the Chrst and the Church", The Dvne Eucharst as the A-Encompassng
Mystery of the Church,Los Angees 2012,12.
95
y ys s
73
, p y H
y p p ( p.32), p yhH
sp Hr H ( 4,5). p pyH,
H y, H y p . Y pH
y p, y pH ppH y
xyH y Hp. p y
ps p xy y py srp
py, pyr, px r,
hH Hyr rp yp x s s
74
.
rp Hr p pHr HyH
(, nymfaeum)
75
, pp pss s
H y , p y py rp y
pyy px pHy r y sy,
p p s
76
. s, yyr y y,
y 3 7 , py rpH yh
(, balustrade) (parapetto). Y sH
pyHy s pH, yyh
p p xp. Hr yyp
r p, y sp Hs, s y y
73
. p p y Hp y 4. y p p; s 5.
y: r pyH p y Hy; p . y Hy;
pyH y Hyy; pyH ( H ry
p . y 6. y, p s . p), y H y
p; s 6. : p px (St. Govan n Fonte),
H pyH p (St. Mara n Cosmedn),
prpH pyH hx pH yh 'roedone (. Wof, . , 1913-4).
Y 6. y, p xy s s rp. Y y
p r, s ys H s y
p s s pp s xyH
H (.Dyggve,2istory of Salonitan (hristianity, Oso 1951,103). Y H
p s U, y UpH rpy (7ustiniana Prima), p
s, y rp y y r p (.ph, , y
H, f[]\ec]\ (1933-34)169-191; .h, , pr rp
, f[]\ec]\ (1937) 81-2). p . p, p
p, , . h . pp ysyy
HppyH (A.Grabar, . ,103-119). OHyr pyH
H y pyHy, p p p yps, y s
pHpyH, p HHp, pr ppyH s 4.
s 6. (.pr,~\]o e ZYghdceue,rp 1957, ps). pH xy
s s y H ppH s y yy, p, rpy
(.pr, ,pxph s y yy", ~if |e (1954) ,
p, ~if |e (1957); |.p, ,s rpy", ]rd Z[]\ecd
(1957). H y pyH s pH, s
rp (y , 4p, pH), y pH y s
p y p p (y pH Hr p p).
74
p p y s p s H
HH s y Hy. H y p p y yy.
75
p , H y
pp y H y y s Hp y sH yH .
76
y r py , x
p (The 7oy of ,no1ledge 2istory and (ulture 1,Mtchae Bazeey Ltd 1977,153.
96
H y HpHpH pypH, rpH
H y s y s Hs pH
p pr HH (p, r, , p).
p
77
(, , ,
, domus orationes, oratoria) y H s sy
Hy p, rp s
78
y p pyp,
sH y pHH s H H p. H p
Hyh s y, p x , rp p
y H y s s
pxy
79
. y p s ys yy py
x s H p x
80
.
y p Hyh rp p, p y y
hx x xpH
81
. y y H pH
ps px, p, HppyH ppyH
, xy pp y p, y y sr ry
.
77
p p ppyH sy sr , H s Hy
p. pHH ppyH rpyy y H p sy p
ys h hy y py, Hh ry rp.
ryh y pHpyH pys xy yy. Hs H
p - ys, p, - p, s s
p h h s. pxs y p p pHp
p s y x.
78
Hs p capere (yx), Zappela (H rpy rp,
yH). Y 7. 8. y, h y H Hp-p
p rp . p ypr, s 4. . Up y y
rp, s ^]Ydp], ^]Ydp]ce Hxy sy y r
rp, y yy p y r H. H p p p
y s H 9. , sH H p, xy
px. s 3 ps , p s H p
(H.Ptt, RealenencyclopUdie fur die prot. Theologishe und ,irhe 7,489). y p
pyp (H., .ph) p rp s s H
rH y, y pxphH py, H Hr y
pH, r p p pr .
79
H H y p s
pxy.
80
Tpp s y yH y Upr p H ys pyH p
y p s p (|. 3,, y UpH
py", f[]\ec]\ (1955),127-68). p . p, ry ys h
p xpH s 4., H r y , AHhH, ypy, 3
rpy (.Tph, , y pH Hpy p",
atgZpgjdcZê eZ[g\enZê b]ZgYeZ 1-4(1935),750-751). sr r
p p ry H x pyry y p
h . y py, Hr ys ps
, p y H p (.|yph,ygbdue ahd[cgZ[e
^go f\x], ]ce Z\dowe jd^, YH y yr,Iy 1986,59).
81
|oannes Chrysostomus, ,Homae 18", Acta Apostolica.
97
p Up
82
( ) p p
H s s ry, s psy px
rH (-) p y pH HH (domus ecclesiae).
pHH y xph Hp
(, , ,, hermitagium)
83
y yH. .
y 4. y 20 r y rp y ry.
(Z[epe[e) y y s h pxy y
(Z[gpYgj]). y py y . H x pH 4. .
ypr y y y H HpH
H ph H y
pH s p. p H
sp y Hr xph
84
. H psr
H ( h p p yH pH,
p , px ppx p
y Hy
85
, pr ) pHh
pH Hx Hp H
86
,
p. py
y Hry s s,
p sH Hy, p Hy H rpy (
), y py (), Hy xpH ()
Hp ( - .p.6). s r H p
p p ss s yp
87
, y psH H
82
pxph s H pH, H s p, HH,
xpH prpH (deambulatorium) ps pH.
H p p, H sH sy. p p
p r rp p. pH p s
ry, py py y pxH py, p Hrx
pxx p, Hp h r yp y H Hy
x ys y y s ps.
83
Petit Larousse, Pars 1976,390.
84
X^g Zd ^gne dYeZ^gYe... e gce em Zjdr[dceb^gt ehdce^]... cd \]oe j]w] a og\a,
cdtg \]oe tcar]w], m]g\]j`]nase o] nd Zjd hcgtg og\g e o] nd |gt Z[jg\eg bgjd^]
har^g e dcZ^g... []^]j cd^] Zd YgY\]je, epe cd^] aod Zj\tca[ epe eZ^àbdc em
\^jd. Xp ^g lgsd j]mo] o] Zd amo\]j] \]oe ]Z^dmd, Zpggocg ha nd (.p.51).
p (r p Hp) Hp y Hp p
, s. p y py () ysp
, H, , Hy . X^g Zd ^gne a Y\]mcebcd o]cd
^pgce hdZ] e jec], a Y\]mcebcd o]cd, \]oe tcar]w] ] cd \]oe jd]w] a og\a, cd^]
aod Zj\tca[ (.p.53). H yH, H H
p yx (XYgZ[gpZ^d aZ[]cgjd V,19-20).
85
r p, H ps py pHx r
p )pus 'ei.
86
3 pH pr }djd[e ]j, p xy, r hy,
H, sr ... sr yr y psp pr xpH.
sHy pys y xph H. sps sH, y
xph y s p pHx p xy H yH
HpsH psp sH 340. r y rpH HH
py (y y 20 p p , yp).
87
H p y rH, y yh s, r
y pr ph, pyy H pH,
98
H, HppyH y y p. Y 4.
y, dioecesis )rientis, r rp x.
px r, s Praefectus orientis. y y
Palaestina, Syria, Phoenicia, Arabia, (ilicia, !sauria,
3esopotamia, )srona, -uphratensis et (ypria
88
. Y H
px y h Up (suburbicariae ecclesiae)
89
.
Y 3. y r y, s y xpH
HrH HH. pH p 260. 268. r
ppH yy r. y H ,ph xphH
xx rp xpH
90
x rp". Up
s 303. r, H p
,xph xpH sp psp"
QB
313. r
HH rpH xpH. pyH xph ss rp
x p. H p r x y pH
p, yH xph p pr, p
y p pxyp
pp, pHH H y H
H H.
H px s
92
,
H yr p 4 sy p, py py
pyy, s (testudo) pr p sH px psp,
x, ps p r .
y sHy p, s pxp px. Y
pyHy p Hxy rp, p
s. p s s pp p, s
p s p . ry ps pH,
p, p, Hs,
xphx s. p H p. s
y y hH r p , s psy sps
syx p 3y. H H p prp.
Hs s ph y p pH s
r p
93
. H 4. , p y p
p s ry pp y p s
y pHy p" (.p.31; .8; py.31,34; H.10; rp.6; x.5;
.58; pr.10; H.12). ,H sp p r
" (py.p.60).
88
y y H H Hp s xr
s. . pH H , Hp rH rpH
pH, pH 6. py Hr p, , s x"
(Heronmus, -p. DB ad Pammach).
89
C.|.Hee,(onciliengeschichte I,398.
90
H xph H ,s py xpH". s
ps y rp y y xpH, y
p H y H y (usebus, 2istoria VII, c. T 9, 29 675).
91
, LVIII, c 3.
92
p s . p, . y py, pr p y Hy,
r p y pyHy.
93
usebus, 'e vita... LIII, c 51-60.
99
domicium, ecclesia conventiculum
94
. H s y s
p, p s, p H
sHr, r Hr p. r H H
p. H s p
95
, basilica
p p. Y p, p ( )
y pyr p ( )
96
y y py
xy p p pp , H
pH pH y H ry. s
pys s pH yh () y. 4, y 5. y,
p p y xph s H pr
y xp
97
. Yps y p p,
ypyy rp
98
, pp
99
pH
100
p.
H pxphx s
101
y p, ,
pp p. s y , sp H sH.
ps p, pxpH (, atrium), py
sH
102
, ps p yH (, porticus,
vestibulum, peristylium), ys y pp ( O .p.73,
94
-nci%lopedia li%ovnih umetnosti 1, 289.
95
usebus, 'e vita... LIII, c 32. y y pyHyH sy p biserica.
96
E.M.Up|ohn, P.S.Wngert, |.G.Maher, 2istory of 1orld Art, Oxford unversty press, New
Yourk 1958,49-52.
97
, . xp, p, H H y p,
h H H" (.p.31; .18; py.31,34 59; rp.6;
x.5; .58; pr.10; pyr H.7,10). Hy y ,p y
HH rH" () y H y Hr .
, Hry p yy y H H ys py Hr .
p, Hh, Hpy hy r ,
py".
98
Up y H rpH, 4. , xy pp p
y rp. r pxph p y pHH pHpH
pH, xy pHx Hs r p , H HH
ppH s p. rp pH pyr 4.
, s pH p rx 3y yg p
y y pyp p, rp s H
pH (., |.p p, _ap[a\c] eZ[g\en] |gZcd e d\udtgjecd go
c]nZ[]\enel j\dhdc] og Y]o] Ygo [a\Zâ jp]Z[,p 1984,352).
99
.p.62; H.11 yy pp pr pp.
100
r , p Hy yp, yh p ryx
p. H pHp, 15. y H, pyyh H
r. pH ryr pp p p ypr
r H (.4yy,e[a\te^] epe c]a^] g xgtgZpadwa
Y\]jgZp]jcd eZ[gbcd \^jd 1,p 2004,28).
101
pH rp s tmghgpgteZ[]\], ppx pyHr p,
1864. r y yeo]pegca, p.765. pp
Bevereg,Synodicon,Annotat in h. can, SC, ys yH 11. p Hr
p. p p py px H y px 10 r r:
gj] Z^\e]p !. r ps s y y s:
H.pr,y\geZlgodcid o\djcd l\eZ[i]cZ^g ]mepeê, pypr
1880,149-200.
102
Up y p s rpH Hy. Yyp s x
y p y pHyx, pp pHH rpy.
100
), H ps p y pp ppy
(, , , , , Y]Yd\[, jerc
Y\e[jg\). pp p, sHy r sr p,
s p pp ( p - ps).
p p H. y xy
pr p H
H
103
. y spxy , rp. Y HpH pH,
y pp p, s s
Hx, pH r. p
yypr pr (endonarte#, esonarthe#,
) r (e#onarte#), p,
s y p, s. r s
p x (porti%us) 6, 8, 10 12 y, y
p p pp (oAq
104
, impluvium). Y p
y s y (, , , ,
cantharus, lymphaeum, labrum), y y ys y xpH, p
py, H yx h p H
105
.
H pp p y yH Hy, s (,
, ecclesia, navis, oratorium fdelium). H - H
y Up yyh, H sHr , y
py p, pr y rx pyrr
psp, H p p y
106
, y p p
( ), h p s, rH. p
(, matronae), y s H
103
.ph,y\]jgZp]jc] pe[a\te^] epe c]a^] g xgtgZpadwa Y\]jgZp]jcd eZ[gbcd
\^jd 1,rp 1965,110. yp p pp s
sy H sp yyy y . xp y
y. Y y ps p
p s pH Hr y, y yp 11. pH Hr
p, H y p y y, pp p s
r. xy s rp H H H pH y
y, y r p hx p. Hyp p ryy
pr p, sp xph p.
104
r p ]jpen] - p p, s y rp
py ypr p.
105
,p pH y, xph Hr p H h ry
py" (Ioannes Crysostomus,2omiliae < in ep. 2. ad (orinthanos, c 4).
106
pH sH, pyh p pp, H
pH, pp H py px p.
Uprp H p p 861. r y p . , h y
xpHy . 879. r (HH,. , ps). Y y s s
s (basilicae geminae) y y, xy p
p (E.Cec, ! monumenti cristiani di Solina, 1963). y
s s y H py, y s p
y. rp p yypr pp p, ps y
tmghgpgteZ[]\a, s 18. , pr pp sH
H H y py H pH p y p 4. 6. ,
pyy px . r s
r H 9. , Hy p, Hyx p.
101
pH p y , p xy H x y
p ry Hyp.
p
107
( - y, , concha, absis),
H pH rr ys, ypy
pyr s y pyy pr p. p
pp Hsy H, Up . Y
s ypy H y s , p
(, sinistros), p ys yypy py ypyr
s pr pp. Y py p
rp H s (, , tronus
episcopalis). y xy, p py, py
H, p py H
py, spyh pyr s .
H pH (, sacrarium, altare) pHH s
H py, 4 y (ciborium,
tabernaculum) y y y ry
108
rpr
pyH.
y p, yp yH,
y (arcus maior), pHH, p
ps (arcus triumfalis)
109
. p y p
pp s p, H y p s p prp
sH HpHp p (septum). H
p prp (, bem]e)
110
, ps p p: (
), p ( ) y p ( )
111

ss y .
p pp () yhH
(, cancelli) . pH yh xy sp
yspy p y rp. y hH sH
p p, p pHp
yry pp H rpH s (sZhola cantorum).
p ypy r x (deambulatorium),
rp p s xp . Hp
pHp HypyH Hy p s y Hy, .
p y y . y ).
107
Y pH , H y xphH yhH p s y
p. p y p, y yp yp, r y
p ps . psH ypr, p s p
pH y Hy y (Zjd[eper[d) y y, p
y Hryh.
108
p yH y pxp, p s ph , y
y y y.
109
py y H y p p p.
110
prp xy p, H H, 1 1,5 H; y
p pp s p. y .
111
p y r p, s pH prp y py y,
ys p s sH p x p pr p.
102
sHy p pH rp p
p (transeptum) H p, Hp y ,
p
112
. pH rH py, p y y p
pyH y. p, p
pp, y H (presbiterium)
113
. p
p p .
y py H pp y y x p
114
,
H y py
115
(, )
116
ppHy
py p, y y ()
117

, y yxp ()
118
r yy
p y ry . p (
)
119
s y y ysyr x y ys s
pH, pp p s pr p
p.
p (, ambo)
120
py 4 , pHH
H y py . p () y pH
sH xpH, y H y p p
112
p y pH py p p pp sr
pp.
113
d^] nd m]x\]wdcg Zj]^gh em \do] Zjd[gjw]^] o] ap]me Y\d^g gt\]od gp[]\], Z]hg
nd tgZYgoZ[ja u]\dja, ^]o m]dpe Y\ecd[e o]\gjd f[jg\e[dà, gjg ogYar[dcg Yg
cd^gh j\pg Z[]\gh Y\do]wa (.p.19,44). p[]\ nd gY\dod`dc Z]hg m] Zjdr[dc]
peu] (py p 69; X[ecZ^] Zec[]th] II,466). y y ()
p (), rpy y y ().
H () xy p () r p
y y xph () r xy p
(), sp y y p pp (.p.30; py.77).
Y p pH s HH (, ), p y pH
yp y (.p.6).
114
y x px s pp s ys ppy, y
py, y s s p pp, H
ry r.
115
yxp p y pH y y, y sH
sy p xpH (T. Mathews, The -arly (hurches of (onstantinople, 1971, 13-18,158.
116
3 sr, y sr p r pH. p r y
H ps , p y y pH ppy,
p x s p: a [\dha go j\][] dla oj] Z[gp] Z
ndocd Z[\]cd e oj] Z[gp] Z o\atd (s 40,39).
117
.ph, ,The Daconcon and Protess n Eary Chrstan Churches", f[]\ec]\ H 9-
10,60-66.
118
.p.73: py ,p y s pp ysHy Hhy
ypy, r yy y pH Hy", psH.
119
yr ysy x, p , s pH y ys
y, h p s.
120
3 H y Hpy p s y py .
pH pxH sH p (yp:R. Krauthemer,-arly
(hristian and $y.antine Architecture, Yae Unversty Press, New Haven, London and New
Yourk 1986;R. F Hoddnott, -arly $y.antine churches in 3acedonia and Southern Serbia, A
Study of the )rigins and the initial 'evelopment of -ast (hristian Art, London,1963). Y
H pH p y ee .
103
p
121
. s x ys s p s pp
122
,
y p p y pHy
. ps pH p ( N 3,10)
ys y . yyp p x p y
phr p. p p xy pyrr p.
Y pp y p, y s p, p
(, piscina). r ys s s pp
123
.
ps p ( ) ys s rsp y
p. Ys yypy py sr p, y rspy,
xy pr y.
Summary
Chrst and hs Apostes contnue to pray n |udac Tempe/Synagogues, and n the
evenng they broke of bread together at prvate houses. Afterwards Chrstans
gathered on the boats, at the eds, n the caves, prsons, Roman Baths,
baptsteres, graveyards, catacombs, memora chapes, crypts, or any avaabe
spot, at the moment, because they were hostes to Roman cvzaton. When the
toeraton of the Church, recognton by emperor Constantne, the Chrstans coud
venture to bud churches and monasteres , on the former gatherng paces and
nay upon the nuence of the Greek kngs` paaces started to bud bascas. A
descrbed rtes concernng turgca tme and space, have deveoped cerca
geography and gave us a cear pcture of the rst Chrstans fe n order to
understand what Church today have preserved of orgna praxs.
121
H p, p p xy p y
p , pyr p, xy p y p p
(jdpe^gn Z]pe) y Uprpy, s , p
ps {\apZê (HH,. ,25-26 17).
122
H Hx y p r h s ys. r p, y
y H ys yx p, yps s (.pr,.
,136).
123
Ys p y s srp s r (py.p.97; X[ecZ^]
Zec[]th] II,537-538), nd\ gce hg\]la e[e Ygab]j]ce a jd\e e Zj]ê >. o]c o]j][e
gotgjg\d (H.p.2,14; py.78,96; .19,46). 3p, H, p .
p r py y rpy, y py (
) y p (), sy y H p
(X[ecZ^] Zec[]th] II,145; H.p.4). p y y
r (+ audientes), p r pH psp,
Hy, pH r y p p rx, Hr y
xphH yH. H y ys y py yy .
H, pr dj]ckd`], Hx y ss. p r y p
(XYgZ[gpZ^d aZ[]cgjd VIII,32). p s y ps y pyr p
rx (+ orantes), r H sr p xph y
H p. r y pH dj]ckd`], y
(+ genuMectentes) H y pH . ypr
H. (+ competentes, , perfectiores, electi),
H p: ,r s". Hx H
r pyrr y y py.
104

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