GIUNIO BASSO, SARCOFAGO di. — In 1597, during the excavations for the construction of the new Vatican Confession, carried out by Giacomo della Porta at the order of Clement VIII (1592–1605), a Christian sarcophagus in Pentelic marble with two levels came to light. On its upper fillet it bore the following inscription: Giunio Basso, of senatorial rank, who lived 42 years and 2 months, went to the Lord while still a neophyte, when he was prefect of the city, on 24 August of the year in which Eusebius and Hypatius were consuls, that is, in 359.
The sarcophagus is the finest product of fourth-century Roman funerary art to have come down to the present day. The lid is mutilated, but three fragments of the central panel were found during the explorations of 1942 in the right wall of the straight arm of the Confession. A portion of the poem engraved there, in couplets, was thus recovered.
The sarcophagus is divided into two levels, and the scenes are framed by columns; the two central columns of the two orders are decorated with vine motifs. The scenes on the upper level represent, from left: the sacrifice of Abraham, the capture of s. Pietro, G. Cristo between two Apostles, and G. Cristo before Pilate; on the lower level, from left: Job, Adam and Eve, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Daniel among the lions, and s. Paolo being led to martyrdom.
In the spaces between them, above the capitals, symbolic scenes of lambs are represented, referring to the three youths in the furnace, the miracle of the spring, the multiplication of the loaves, the Baptism of Christ, the handing over of the Law to Moses, and the resurrection of Lazarus. On the two sides are scenes of the seasons and of the grape harvest.
In 1932 J. Roosval proposed recognizing the sarcophagus as a product of the third century reused in 359; he was rightly contradicted by F. Gerke. Today the inscription on the lid shows that this too is contemporary with everything else. — Vedi tav. LV.