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Classical & Late Antique Art

Christianization of the Late Roman World
Cities, Churches, Synagogues, Palaces, Private Houses and Monasteries in the Early Christian Period

by Beat Brenk

24 x 17 cm 620 pp. 326 illus.
£150.00
ISBN 1 899828 72 9
Cloth Bound
Publication: September 2006

The separate papers in this publication have appeared during the last 10-15 years as parts of a comprehensive enquiry by Professor Brenk, where the goal is not generalization, but microhistory. The opportunity presented itself to examine the phenomenon of Christianization on the basis of separate case studies in different religious, social and economic areas of life. The author asks how these areas of life changed in a period of major transformation in the Late Roman World, between the 3rd and the 7th centuries, and how these changes were reflected in art and architecture.

The city in late antiquity forms the starting point, "acquiring a new emphasis after the 4th century with the cult buildings of Christians and Jew (churches, monasteries, synagogues) as well as some extremely luxurious residences. The author tries to examine in which topographic surroundings Christian and Jewish cult buildings were established. Special attention is given to the question of the taking over of construction plots or the re-use of buildings, as well as the re-use by building materials by Christians.

A further selection of topics emerges with the use, re-use and with the artistic furnishing of private houses and residences with house chapels by Christians. The investigation of house chapels throws a new light of the question of private cults. Cult, function and requirement are categories from which a new understanding can be obtained for such different building types as monasteries, urban votive churches, cathedrals and pilgrimage churches.

A considerable number of studies previously published in German and Italian are presented here in English "translation, and some are published here for the first time.

Contents

Introduction
Cities: The Christianization of the late-Antique City
On the Christianization of the late-Antique City in the East (Gerasa, Apamea, Bosra, the Negev Cities)
The Christianization of the City of Ostia
Churches 1:
From Private House to Church
House Churches (unpublished)
Churches over Private Houses (Kurnub, Shivta, S. Sabina. S. Pudenziana, Parenzo, Capernaum, Ebona)
SS. Giovanni e Paolo in Rom: a Case Study
Churches 2:
Functions, Pretentions and Meaning
The Year 410 and its Effect on Church Art at Rome
Parenzo, Problems of Research
The Building Concept of Hagios Demetrios in Thessaloniki
The Cult Centre, its Accessibility and its Visitors
On the Rhetoric of Places of Pilgrimage and Holy Images
Synagogues:
The Christianization of the Jewish City Centre of Capernaum
The Transformation of the Synagogue of Apamea into a Church. A Study in History and Mentalities
Houses and Palaces:
Christian Basilica or Christian 'Domus of the Tigriniani'
On the Christianization of the Imperial Residence
Imperial-Christian-Pagan-Private. From the Context to the Significance
The Christianization of the Domus of the Valerii on the Celian
Monasteries: Monastic Construction and Equipment before the year 800. Rhetoric versus Reality
Benedict and the Problem of monastic Architecture before the Year 1000
On the Relationship of the Four-winged Layout (Claustrum) in early Christian-early Medieval Monasteries
On the Origin and Rhetoric of the Monk's Portait (unpublished)
Spolia:
Spolia from Constantine to Charlemagne: Aesthetics versus Ideology.
Spolia and their Effect on the Aesthetics of varietas
Additional Notes
Index