dec 31, 349 - Catacomb on the Via Latina
Description:
Rome, c. 350 (mid 4th century)
Catacombs were underground spaces for the burial and preservation of the dead in anticipation of the afterlife. They were spaces for gatherings to celebrate the dead with feasts known as refrigerium. The intermingling of Christian and pagan images suggests syncretism.
Cubiculum N: Hercules leads the princess Alcestis out of the underworld - themes of renewal and resurrection
Cubiculum L: Samson slaying the Lion - Samson possesses heroic strength like Hercules; he is shown finding honey in the lion's mouth after it has lain dead for some time, representing sweetness after death
Cubiculum O: Christ raising Lazarus and Moses parting the Red Sea - passage of death into life from the miraculous powers of Christ and Moses; in Rome, Moses could represent the Pope
relevant terms: syncretism, refrigerium, cubiculum, typology, tufa, arcosolium, and loculus
Added to timeline:
Early Christian and Byzantine Art
Date:
Images:
![]()
![]()
![]()
