Christian Archaeology
Archeologia Cristiana · 318 articles · Principal contributors · All subjects-
Abercius, Saint (ABERCIO, SANTO)
ABERCIUS, Saint. - Bishop of Hierapolis (or Geropolis) in Phrygia. Feast on 22 October. His Life recounts that, after a decree of Marcus… -
Ad Corpus, Basilica
AD CORPUS, BASILICA. - This is the technical term used by archaeologists to indicate a basilica that was built near or over the body of a… -
Adelfia
ADELFIA. - In the catacomb of St. John in Syracuse a splendid sarcophagus was found which on a panel of the lid bears the inscription (h)ic… -
Adrumetum (ADRUMETO)
ADRUMETUM. - An agricultural and commercial center in Byzacena, today Sussa (French Sousse) in Tunisia. It was called for some time… -
Ad Sanctos
AD SANCTOS. - This Latin expression ("near the saints") designates the custom of the ancient Christians of being buried, when possible,… -
Alexandria of Egypt (ALESSANDRIA D'EGITTO)
ALEXANDRIA OF EGYPT. - A city of Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., 14 km west of the branch of the Nile called Canopus, on… -
Alfarano, Tiberio
ALFARANO, TIBERIO. - Born at Gerace (Reggio Calabria), by 1544 he was already serving at St. Peter's, and from 1567 he was a benefited… -
Alicula
ALICULA. - A leather cape, with or without a hood, used by hunters, farmers, workers and boys. In Christian cemetery paintings and… -
Allegranza, Giuseppe
ALLEGRANZA, GIUSEPPE. - Learned Dominican archaeologist, b. in Milan in 1713, d. in Rome in 1786. He made many educational journeys… -
Alumnus
ALUMNUS. - In the Greco-Roman world it was permitted to get rid of newborn infants, even free ones, who were exposed either in the places… -
Amasea
AMASEA. - The first city of the province of Helenopontus in Asia Minor, on the river Iris; capital of the province in the imperial period,… -
Amiterno
AMITERNO. - Ancient diocese of Latium in the land of the Sabines, and a city on the site where the village of S. Vittorino now stands, so… -
Anastasi
ANASTASI. - From the Greek Ἀνάστασις, that is, resurrection. In the peregrinatio Aetheriae (Itinera Hierosolymitana, in CSEL, 39, pp. 71,… -
Anathema (ANATEMA)
ANATHEMA - Christian sepulchral inscription with an anathema against violators of tombs - Rome, Lateran Christian Museum. et monumenta, II,… -
Anchor (ANCORA)
ANCHOR. - G. B. De Rossi defined the anchor as the solemn and fundamental symbol of Christian symbolism (Bull. arch. crist., 2nd series, 2… -
Ancient Christian Art (ARTE CRISTIANA ANTICA)
ANCIENT CHRISTIAN ART. - We still know almost nothing about the origins of Christian art, taken in the double sense of the word,… -
Ancient Christian Cemeteries (CIMITERI CRISTIANI ANTICHI)
ANCIENT CHRISTIAN CEMETERIES. - SUMMARY: I. Generalities. - II. Ownership and administration. - III. Theological value of paleochristian… -
Ancient Christian Iconography (ICONOGRAFIA CRISTIANA ANTICA)
ANCIENT CHRISTIAN ICONOGRAPHY. - Within the group of historical-philosophical sciences that concern themselves with the scientific… -
Ancyra (ANCIRA)
ANCYRA. - City of Galatia in Asia Minor, now Angora (Turkish Ankara), capital of present-day Turkey. It must have received the Christian… -
Andrew, Apostle, Saint (ANDREA, APOSTOLO, SANTO)
ANDREW, Apostle, Saint. - 1. LIFE. - Son of Jonah and brother of Simon Peter, born at Bethsaida. He practiced the trade of fisherman at… -
Antioch in Syria (ANTIOCHIA DI SIRIA)
ANTIOCH IN SYRIA. - City in the fertile valley of the Orontes River, 25 km. from the sea, today Antāhijah. CONTENTS: I. A. in the Bible. -… -
Anzio
ANZIO. - A Volscian city 58 km from Rome, with a famous port (Caenon), subjected in 338 B.C. by the Romans, who, toward the end of the… -
Apodyterium (Ἀποδυτήριον)
APODYTERIUM (Ἀποδυτήριον). - It was the dressing room near the bathing place. In Eastern churches it corresponds to the sacristy. -
Apse (from Greek ἀφίς "Joint" and later also "Arch, Vault"), or Exedra (ABSIDE (DAL GR. ἈΦΊΣ « GIUNTURA » E POI ANCHE « ARCO, VOLTA »), OVVERO EXEDRA)
APSE (from Greek ἀφίς "Joint" and later also "Arch, Vault"), or Exedra. - It is a semicircular structure with a hemispherical vault, in use… -
Aquileia
AQUILEIA. - Today a village of Friuli in the province of Udine, near the lagoon of Grado, on the river Nattissa, which connects it to the… -
Aracoeli
ARACOELI. - In the oldest recension of the Mirabilia urbis Romae (about the middle of the 12th century) the name of A. occurs for the first… -
Archaeology (ARCHEOLOGIA)
ARCHAEOLOGY. - In the amphitheater of this small town Domitian forced the consul Acilius Glabrio to fight with wild beasts; he later died,… -
Arcosolium (ARCOSOLIO)
ARCOSOLIUM. - Solium in Latin means, besides throne, seat, also basin, and like other analogous terms it came later to designate the tomb.… -
Ardica
ARDICA. - The expression is used particularly in Ravenna to indicate the portico of a church, which is a reduced form of the atrium, as,… -
Arenario
ARENARIUS. - Shortly after the discovery of the Christian cemetery galleries on the via Salaria in the spring of 1578, the Sanctorum… -
Aricanda
ARICANDA. - Ancient city of Lycia (Arykanda), today a village called Aruf, where the text of a curious petition sent to Maximinus was… -
Aringhi, Paolo
ARINGHI, PAOLO. - Oratorian, b. in Rome in 1600, d. there in 1676. He was very well known for the Latin translation of Bosio's Roma… -
Ark (ARCA)
ARK. - Latin name used as a synonym for sarcophagus (v.) located above ground in ancient Christian cemeteries (v.). It is used, from the… -
Arles
ARLES. - City of south-eastern France, in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, with a population of about 29,000 inhabitants, A. was an… -
Armellini, Mariano
ARMELLINI, MARIANO. - Benedictine of the Cassinese congregation, b. at Ancona on 10 Dec. 1662, d. at Foligno on 4 May 1737. A monk in the… -
Ass (ASINO)
ASS. - Tra i molti animali che l'arte paleocristiana ha ammesso nel suo repertorio, è da annoverare anche l'a. In un affresco del cimitero… -
Atrium (Atrion, Aidrion) (ATRIO (A-TRIUM, ΑἸΔΡΊΟΝ))
ATRIUM (Atrion, Aidrion). - In the Christian architecture of the early centuries it consists of an open space placed directly in front of… -
Augusti, Johann Christian Wilhelm
AUGUSTI, JOHANN CHRISTIAN WILHELM. - German Protestant theologian, b. 27 Oct. 1771 at Eschenbergen, d. at Koblenz on 28 Apr. 1841. In 1803… -
Aureli, Hypogeum Of The (AURELI, IPOGEO DEGLI)
AURELI, Hypogeum Of The. - Discovered in Rome in 1919 near the Viale Manzoni, this burial complex consists of four chambers built at… -
Auriol
AURIOL. - French town in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, famous for two early Christian altars of singular shape, destroyed along with… -
Balbina, Saint (BALBINA, SANTA)
BALBINA, Saint. - She is unknown to the Martyrologium Hieronymianum; she appears not as a martyr, but as a virgin and daughter of the… -
Banquet, Scenes Of (BANCHETTO, SCENE DI)
BANQUET, Scenes Of. - It cannot yet be said that convivial scenes in Early Christian art have found a definitive interpretation.… -
Baptistery (BATTISTERO)
BAPTISTERY. - The word is used by Pliny the Younger with the meaning of a bath tub (Ep., II, 17, 11), and it is still employed in the same… -
Barbier de Montault, Xavier-Marie-Joseph
BARBIER DE MONTAULT, XAVIER-MARIE-JOSEPH. - French scholar, b. at Loudun on 6 February 1830, d. at Blaslay on 29 March 1901. Having gone to… -
Bartolini, Domenico
BARTOLINI, DOMENICO. - Cardinal, b. May 16, 1813 in Rome, d. in Florence Oct. 2, 1887. Author of various writings of a hagiographic and… -
Basilica
BASILICA. - The word b., which derives from the Greek (στού βασιλική), means in the Latin language a large hall for public or private use.… -
Bassilla
BASSILLA. - I. THE MARTYR. - In the calendar of the Roman Church of the first half of the 4th century (Depositio Martyrum) she is called a… -
Bath (BAGNO)
BATH. — The daily bath in specially built thermal establishments had become so much a part of general custom in the Roman empire that… -
Bellermann, Christian Friedrich
BELLERMANN, CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH. - Protestant pastor, b. 18 July 1793 in Erfurt, d. at Bonn on 24 March 1863. He was the son of a professor… -
Bema
BEMA. - From the Greek βῆμα (βλῆμ = to go, to walk). The meaning of the term B. is very different, whether in ancient Greece or in Rome, in… -
Berthier, Joachim
BERTHIER, JOACHIM. - Born on 31 Dec. 1848 at Talloires near Annecy (Savoy), died on 21 Dec. 1924 at Fribourg (Switzerland). Educated at the… -
Bertoli, Giandomenico
BERTOLI, GIANDOMENICO. - Archaeologist, b. at Meretto near Udine on 13 March 1676, d. at Aquileia on 22 March 1763. He was a canon of… -
Besançon
BESANÇON - Offering table (5th-6th centuries), with a Constantinian monogram and the inscription: « Hoc signum praestat populis caelestia… -
Bianchini, Francesco
BIANCHINI, FRANCESCO. - Born on 13 Dec. 1662 in Verona, died on 2 March 1729 in Rome, where he went after his studies in Bologna and Padua.… -
Biondo, Flavio
BIONDO, FLAVIO. - Humanist and archaeologist, b. at Forlì in 1392, d. at Rome on 4 June 1463 (he added the second name later, by Latinizing… -
Birro
BIRRO. - The birrus was an outer garment in the form of a cloak or gabardine that could reach down to the knee and be provided with a hood.… -
Bisomus
BISOMUS. - With "locus" understood, it means a burial place for two bodies and is terminology proper to the Roman catacombs. Like the… -
Boldetti, Marcantonio
BOLDETTI, MARCANTONIO. - Archaeologist, b. in Rome in 1663, d. there in 1749. Canon of S. Maria in Trastevere, a man of great piety, he was… -
Bolsena
BOLSENA. - Ancient episcopal see of Latium, in the province of Viterbo, along the via Cassia, to the north-east of the lake of the same… -
Bonada, Francesco Maria
BONADA, FRANCESCO MARIA. - Piarist, born on Sept. 8, 1706 in Trinità (Cuneo), diocese of Mondovì, died in Rome on Dec. 22, 1755, rector of… -
Bonavenia, Giuseppe
BONAVENIA, GIUSEPPE. - Jesuit, b. at Arpino (Frosinone) on 16 June 1844, d. at Rome on 18 Jan. 1920. He devoted himself above all to… -
Bosio, Antonio
BOSIO, ANTONIO. - A distinguished archaeologist, b. in Malta in 1575, d. in Rome in 1629. Having come to Rome at a very young age, he… -
Bostra
BOSTRA. - City of the Hawrân, ancient capital of the Roman province of Arabia established by Trajan in the year 106. Christianity was… -
Bourassé, Jean-Jacques
BOURASSÉ, JEAN-JACQUES. - Archaeologist and historian of Touraine, b. at Sainte-Maure (Indre-et-Loire) on 22 Dec. 1813 and d. at Tours on 4… -
Brandea
BRANDEA. - With this term the early Christians designated those linen cloths or veils which, having been applied directly to the body or… -
Brick Seal (BOLLO LATERIZIO)
BRICK SEAL. - A stamp that the Romans impressed on ceramic manufactures, especially plates, vases, tiles and bricks. It proves very useful… -
Bruzza, Luigi Maria
BRUZZA, LUIGI MARIA. - Barnabite, b. in Genoa on 15 March 1813, d. in Rome on 6 Nov. 1883. He taught Latin and Greek literature for 40… -
Bulla
BULLA. - A lenticular capsule, empty inside, formed of two superimposed plates and provided with a loop so that it could be worn around the… -
Bulletin of Christian Archaeology (BULLETTINO DI ARCHEOLOGIA CRISTIANA)
BULLETIN OF CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY. - Founded by Giovanni Battista De Rossi in 1863 and compiled entirely by him until his death (1894),… -
Buonanni, Filippo
BUONANNI, FILIPPO. - Jesuit, b. in Rome on 7 January 1638, d. there on 30 March 1725. He was librarian and archivist of the Roman College… -
Butrint (BUTRINTO)
BUTRINT. - Ancient city of Epirus (today in southern Albania, prefecture of Gjirokastër) situated south of Saranda, in a locality close to… -
Cahier, Charles
CAHIER, CHARLES. - French Jesuit and archaeologist, b. in Paris on 26 Feb. 1807, d. there on 27 Feb. 1882. He devoted almost his entire… -
Caius, Pope, Saint (CAIO, PAPA, SANTO)
CAIUS, Pope, Saint. - The Liber Pontificalis says he was of Dalmatian origin, and indeed a relative of the emperor Diocletian (this last… -
Campo Santo Teutonico, Museum of (CAMPO SANTO TEUTONICO, MUSEO DEL)
CAMPO SANTO TEUTONICO, Museum of. - Begun as early as 1887 by Msgr. A. De Waal (d. 1917), rector of the college (v. COLLEGI ECCLESIASTICI:… -
Cananea
CANANEA. - The woman of Tyre, called C. in Mt. 15:21-28, and a Syrophoenician in Mk. 7:24-30, who implored and obtained from Jesus the… -
Cancellieri, Francesco Girolamo
CANCELLIERI, FRANCESCO GIROLAMO. - Born in Rome on 10 Oct. 1751, died there on 29 Dec. 1826, buried in St. John Lateran. His 161 published… -
Canina, Luigi
CANINA, LUIGI. - Archaeologist and architect, b. at Casalmonferrato on 28 Oct. 1795, d. on 17 Oct. 1856 at Florence, buried in S. Croce.… -
Canosa
CANOSA. - City of Apulia, in the province of Bari, of ancient origin, known for its necropolises with rich grave goods and for notable… -
Cantaró (CANTARO)
CANTARÓ. - From the Greek κάνθαρος, a kind of drinking cup with a wide opening; it is also used to designate the basin from which water… -
Capitani d'Arzago, Alberto de
CAPITANI D'ARZAGO, ALBERTO de. - Born at Paderno Milanese on 13 Aug. 1909, died in Paris on 30 July 1948, he was a scholar of classical and… -
Capitello
CAPITELLO. - It is the architectural element that serves to connect a support, whether column or pier, with the architrave or the impost… -
Capsa
CAPSA. — From the Greek χάψα, properly a box for books; it could also be called a scrinium; for the most part circular, of wood, if very… -
Carnuntum
CARNUNTUM. - City of Upper Pannonia (Austria) in the Danube valley, a very ancient road center of great commercial and strategic importance… -
Caronni, Felice
CARONNI, FELICE. - Barnabite, b. at Monza in 1747, d. at Milan on 15 April 1815. A professor of rhetoric at Arpino and Livorno, he… -
Casarano (CASARANELLO)
CASARANO. - A locality in Apulia, on the Salento peninsula, birthplace of Pope Boniface IX (Pietro Tomacelli: 1389-1404); after falling… -
Castelseprio
CASTELSEPRIO. - A comune in the province of Como. The church of S. Maria foris portas, particularly notable for its plan and for its… -
Catacombs, Cemetery In (CATACUMBAS, CIMITERO IN)
CATACOMBS, CEMETERY IN. - From the Greek κατὰ κόμβας, it was originally a topo- > (photo Pont. comm. di arch. sacra) > CATACUMBAS, CIMITERO… -
Cataract (CATARACTA)
CATARACT. - Latin feminine formation from the Greek masculine κατὰρράκτης. It properly means a river waterfall and in particular that of… -
Cavedoni, Venanzio Celestino
CAVEDONI, VENANZIO CELESTINO. - Priest, b. at Levizzano (Modena) on 17 May 1795, d. at Modena on 26 Nov. 1865. Mezzofanti initiated him… -
Cell (CELLA)
CELL. - I. It is a word that has the most varied applications. In a Christian inscription from Rome there is mention of a binara (=… -
Cemetery (CIMITERO)
CEMETERY. - It is the place destined for the burial of the dead. The Christians of the first centuries, conforming to the Roman laws that… -
Cemetery of Apronianus (APRONIANO, CIMITERO DI)
CEMETERY OF APRONIANUS. - The Hieronymian Martyrology tells us (Dec. 25) that St. Eugenia was buried on the Via Latina in Rome in… -
Cemetery of Praetextatus (PRETESTATO, CIMITERO DI)
CEMETERY OF PRAETEXTATUS. - Located at the 2nd mile on the left of the Via Appia (currently the entrance is at Via Appia Pignatelli 1). The… -
Cemetery of St. Cyriaca (CIRIACA, CIMITERO DI)
CEMETERY OF ST. CYRIACA. - On the Via Tiburtina; it takes its name from the legend that attributes to a widow named C. the deposition of… -
Cherchell (CHERCHEL)
CHERCHELL. - In Algeria. It is the ancient Caesarea in Mauretania, founded by the Carthaginians, who called it Iol (a Phoenician deity).… -
Chlamys (Κλαμός) (CLAMIDE (ΚΛΑΜΌΣ))
CHLAMYS (Κλαμός). - The Romans called thus a cloak shorter than the pallium, whose two extreme points on the long side were gathered on the… -
Christian Archaeology (ARCHEOLOGIA CRISTIANA)
CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY. - Etymologically it is the science of ancient things (λόγος τῶν ἀρχαίων). SUMMARY: I. Concept. - II. Object, method,… -
Christian East (ORIENTE CRISTIANO)
CHRISTIAN EAST. - Besides the individual entries, to which reference is made, an overall view is necessary to serve as a general… -
Ciampini, Giovanni Giustino
CIAMPINI, GIOVANNI GIUSTINO. - Born in Rome on 13 April 1633, died there on 12 July 1698. A skilled jurist, he later held very important… -
Cippus (CIPPO)
CIPPUS. - A parallelepiped of stone or marble, either to mark a burial and therefore with a corresponding inscription, or to delimit a… -
Cividale Del Friuli
CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI. - Roman remains and particularly inscriptions (which do not appear to have been brought there from elsewhere) attest… -
Clypeate, Image (CLIPEATA, IMMAGINE)
CLYPEATE, IMAGE. - With the expression "imago clipeata," which is already found in Macrobius (Saturn., II, 3), one usually designates the… -
Collegium Cultorum Martyrum
COLLEGIUM CULTORUM MARTYRUM. - Founded on 6 January 1879 by Mariano Armellini (v.), Adolfo Hytrek, Orazio Marucchi (v.) and Enrico… -
Colobium (Κολόβος)
COLOBIUM (Κολόβος). - It is a long, tight tunic, without sleeves. It is worn by the Savior on the cross, as, for example, in the now almost… -
Colomba
COLOMBA. - One of the most frequent birds in purely decorative compositions, the dove, both in early Christian literature and art, is part… -
Commodilla, Cemetery of (COMMODILLA, CIMITERO DI)
COMMODILLA, CEMETERY OF. - Near the via Ostiense: entrance on the present-day via delle Sette Chiese. The name is found in the index of… -
Consignatorium
CONSIGNATORIUM. - This refers to a hall for the administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, which in the first centuries was… -
Corblet, Jules
CORBLET, JULES. - Priest, b. at Roy (Somme) on 16 June 1819, d. at Versailles on 29 Apr. 1886. In 1857 he founded the Revue de l'art… -
Corpus Inscriptionum
CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM. - Corpus means a general collection. Many general collections of inscriptions have been made for antiquity. Of those… -
Crete (CRETA)
CRETE. - Island in the Mediterranean south-east of Greece, also called Candia from the name of its principal city. 250 km long from east to… -
Crostarosa, Pietro
CROSTAROSA, PIETRO. - Born on 25 February 1836 in Rome, died there on 26 February 1902; he was a canon of the Liberian Basilica, prefect of… -
Crypt (CRIPTA)
CRYPT. - The Romans called crypta (from the Greek κρύπτο, "I hide") a covered and subterranean ambulatory; Christians employed it to… -
Cubiculum
CUBICULUM. - It is a common term among the Romans for indicating the bedrooms that opened onto the sides of the atrium of the house. It is… -
Cuma
CUMA. - Testimonies of an ancient Christian community at C. are found in two pagan temples erected in the Greek period, rebuilt in the… -
Cyprus (Cipro)
Cyprus. - By area (9,283 sq km), it is the third island of the Mediterranean. CONTENTS: I. Geography. - II. History. - III. Ecclesiastical… -
Decoration (DECORAZIONE)
DECORATION. - The universally widespread and deeply rooted taste for a decorated setting and object undoubtedly constituted a substratum… -
De Donis Dei
DE DONIS DEI. - A formula often used mostly on liturgical furnishings, in ancient Christian inscriptions both in the West and in the East… -
Deer (CERVO)
DEER. - The biblical image of Ps. 41, sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, has been rendered in early Christian art by the… -
De Jerphanion, Guillaume
DE JERPHANION, GUILLAUME. - Born on March 3, 1877 at Pontèves (Var), died in Rome on Oct. 22, 1948. > (courtesy of Fr. I. Ortiz de Urbina)… -
Delattre, Alfred-Louis
DELATTRE, ALFRED-LOUIS. - Archaeologist, b. at Deville in the diocese of Rouen on 26 June 1850, d. at Carthage on 11 Jan. 1932. He entered… -
Depositio-Depositus
DEPOSITIO-DEPOSITUS. — Depono, in literary texts already from the 3rd century, took on the sense of laying in the tomb, burying, but always… -
De Rossi, Giovanni Battista
DE ROSSI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. - Archaeologist, founder of the science of Christian archaeology, b. in Rome on 22 February 1822, d. in the… -
De Rossi, Michele Stefano
DE ROSSI, MICHELE STEFANO. - Geologist, b. in Rome on 30 Oct. 1834 and d. at Rocca di Papa on 23 Oct. 1898, he was the inseparable… -
De Vogüé, Charles-Jean-Melchior (DE VOGUÉ, CHARLES-JEAN-MELCHIOR)
DE VOGÜÉ, CHARLES-JEAN-MELCHIOR. - Archaeologist, b. in Paris on 18 Oct. 1829 to an ancient noble family from the Vivarais, and d. there on… -
De Waal, Anton Joseph Johann Maria
DE WAAL, ANTON JOSEPH JOHANN MARIA. - Born at Emmerich on 3 May 1836, died at Rome on 23 Feb. 1917. Ordained a priest at Münster on 11 Oct.… -
Dexterarum Iunctio
DEXTERARUM IUNCTIO. - For the Romans the solemn act of the celebration of marriage culminated in the clasping of the right hands of the… -
Disc (DISCO)
DISC. - The term discus or missorium, and improperly bouclier ("shield"), is customarily used to designate a concave platter of silver or… -
D.M.S
D.M.S. - Funerary inscription placed in memory of her husband Menander by Pomponia Mitilene (3rd century) with the Θ (εοίς) Κ (αταχθονίοις)… -
Dogmatic Inscriptions (DOGMATICHE, ISCRIZIONI)
DOGMATIC INSCRIPTIONS. - Epigraphic material can greatly benefit the knowledge of the life and thought of the ancient Christians,… -
Dolphin (DELFINO)
DOLPHIN. - The ancients regarded this cetacean as a friend of man, and believed that, following ships and taking refuge in harbors at the… -
Dominicum
DOMINICUM. - The oldest places where Christians held their assemblies and celebrated the divine mysteries were private domus, which were… -
Domitilla, Cemetery Of (DOMITILLA, CIMITERO DI)
DOMITILLA, Cemetery Of. - It is situated on the ancient via Ardeatina, which had its course further west than the present one. Today's… -
Domus Aeterna
DOMUS AETERNA. - The lack of burial, and the violation or destruction of the tomb were considered by the ancients to be the worst injuries… -
Doni, Giovanni Battista
DONI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. - Epigrapher, man of letters and writer on music, b. in Florence to a patrician family in 1594 and d. there on 1… -
Eagle (in Christian Archaeology) (AQUILA (NELL'ARCHEOLOGIA CRISTIANA))
EAGLE (in Christian Archaeology). - The eagle appears in early Christian art only as an ornamental motif, as in a cubiculum of the Cemetery… -
Embalmation (IMBALSAMAZIONE)
EMBALMATION. - The ancient Christians generally used two types of e.; the first, inexpensive, consisted in placing a layer of quicklime… -
Emorroissa
EMORROISSA. - Early Christian funerary art depicted the healing of the H. narrated by the three Synoptics (Mt. 9:20-22; Mk. 5:25-34; Lk.… -
Encolpius (ENCOLPIO)
ENCOLPIUS. - This term designated small cases enclosing relics of saints, or other sacred objects, which the faithful used to wear hanging… -
Epigraphic Syllogisms (SILLOGI EPIGRAFICHE)
EPIGRAPHIC SYLLOGISMS. - In the Roman world the East preceded the West in the collection of inscriptions; in Greece, in fact, sylloges were… -
Epigraphy, Christian Latin and Greek (EPIGRAFIA CRISTIANA LATINA E GRECA)
EPIGRAPHY, CHRISTIAN LATIN AND GREEK. - Epigraphy may rightly be called the eye of (Int. Enc. Catt.) EPIGONATION - Pontifical Russian… -
Eulogia
EULOGIA. - Originally this term indicated the bread offered by the faithful for the Eucharistic Sacrifice but not used for that purpose,… -
Fabretti, Raffaele
FABRETTI, RAFFAELE. - Archaeologist, b. at Urbino in 1618, d. at Rome on 7 Jan. 1700, canon of St. Lawrence in Damaso and then of St.… -
Faithful (FEDELE)
FAITHFUL. - The ancient Christians called fidelis (in Gk. πιστός) the one who had received the sacrament of Baptism, who had obtained the… -
Fariana (FERIANA)
FARIANA. - It is the name of the modern village in Tunisia, a short distance from which, at the locality Medinet el Kdim, lie the ruins of… -
Fea, Carlo
FEA, CARLO. - Archaeologist, b. at Pigna, near Oneglia in Liguria, on 4 June 1753, d. at Rome on 17 March 1836, buried in S. Lorenzo in… -
Fenestella Confessionis
FENESTELLA CONFESSIONIS. - Both in block altars and in chest altars there is sometimes found a rectangular opening faced with marble that… -
Fibula
FIBULA. - The Latin term "f." (in Greek περόνη, πάρτη, δαντή) denotes both the safety pin and the belt clasp or buckle. With this term… -
Ficoroni, Francesco de'
FICORONI, FRANCESCO de'. - Born in 1664 at Lugnano near Valmontone in Latium, died in Rome on 1 February 1747, he was a scholar of… -
Filippi
FILIPPI. - The first city of Macedonia evangelized during the second apostolic journey by Paul and Silas, to whom Timothy and Luke had… -
Fish (PESCE)
FISH. - It is one of the most ancient Christian symbols. In Greek, fish is called ΙΧΘΥC, and the letters composing it form the acrostic… -
Fisherman (PESCATORE)
FISHERMAN. - Christ said to the two fishermen Peter and Andrew: "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" (Mt. 4:19; Mk. 1:17; Lk.… -
Flowers (FIORI)
FLOWERS. - ARCHAEOLOGY. - In the Octavius of Minucius Felix it is stated that Christians did not place crowns of flowers on their heads… -
Foot (PIEDE)
FOOT. - Unità di misura presso i Romani, corrispondente a m. 0,2959. Talvolta si trova rappresentato anche in iscrizioni cristiane, come in… -
Forcella, Vincenzo
FORCELLA, VINCENZO. - Born in 1837, died in 1906. He is known above all for the work Iscrizioni delle chiese e di altri edifici di Roma dal… -
Fossors (FOSSORI)
FOSSORS. - This is the name, used even by the pagans, for the workers employed in digging burial pits. Hippolytus recalls why the fossor is… -
Führer, Joseph
FÜHRER, JOSEPH. - Archaeologist, b. in 1858, d. on 8 February 1903, professor of philology and history first at the lyceum of Dillingen,… -
Galante, Gennaro Aspreno
GALANTE, GENNARO ASPRENO. - Priest, historian and archaeologist, b. in Naples on 6 Oct. 1842, d. there on 11 June 1923. As a young man he… -
Garrucci, Raffaele
GARRUCCI, RAFFAELE - Jesuit, b. in Naples on 23 Jan. 1812, d. in Rome on 23 May 1885. A distinguished philologist and archaeologist,… -
Gatti, Giuseppe
GATTI, GIUSEPPE. - Born in Rome on 23 Nov. 1838, died in Oriolo Romano on 12 Sept. 1914; an archaeologist highly versed in classical and… -
Geras (Geras) (GÉRASA)
GERAS (GERAS). - A Greco-Roman city in Transjordan, today Jerash, on the banks of the river Chrysorrhoas (Wadi Jerash), whence the name… -
Gerola, Giuseppe
GEROLA, GIUSEPPE. - Archaeologist and art scholar, b. in Arsiero on 2 April 1877, d. in Trento on 21 September 1938. He is credited with a… -
Gesti
GESTI. - For the determination of ancient Christian iconographic scenes, the interpretation of gestures is very important, which Cicero… -
Gori, Antonio Francesco
GORI, ANTONIO FRANCESCO. - Priest, b. in Florence on 9 Nov. 1691, d. there on 21 Jan. 1757; he published several erudite works of… -
Grado
GRADO. - The ancient name of G. is Gradus, the first port of call for ships bound for Aquileia along the Natisone (like Gradus Arnensis =… -
Graffiti
GRAFFITI. - Graffiti, as the name says, are drawings or writings executed with a hard point on a softer background, such as wall plaster,… -
Grimaldi, Giacomo
GRIMALDI, GIACOMO. - Priest, scholar, b. in Bologna ca. 1560, d. in Rome on 7 January 1623. He entered the service of the Vatican Basilica… -
Grisar, Hartmann
GRISAR, HARTMANN. - Jesuit, historian, archaeologist and apologist, b. at Koblenz on 22 Sept. 1845, d. at Innsbruck on 25 Feb. 1932. After… -
Grossi-Gondi, Felice
GROSSI-GONDI, FELICE. - Jesuit, scholar and archaeologist, b. in Rome on 16 Sept. 1860, d. there on 31 March 1923. He entered the Society… -
Gsell, Stéphane
GSELL, STÉPHANE. - Historian and archaeologist, b. in Paris on 7 February 1864, d. there on 1 January 1932. He was a pupil of the French… -
Haidra (HAÏDRA)
HAIDRA. - Arabic name of a small Roman town called Ammaedera or also Ammaedara in an inscription (CIL, 8, 11532), "Ad Medera" in the… -
Harris, James Rendel
HARRIS, JAMES RENDEL. - English archaeologist, b. at Plymouth in 1852, d. at Birmingham on 1 March 1941. From 1882 to 1892 he was a… -
Herculaneum (ERCOLANO)
HERCULANEUM. - A small town in Campania buried together with nearby Pompeii (v.) by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79 and only in the… -
Hippo (IPPONA)
HIPPO. - A city on the coasts of the Mediterranean, in Numidia (north Africa), today situated 2 km southwest of present-day Bona in… -
Horse (CAVALLO)
HORSE. - St. Paul, addressing the Corinthians, invites them to act in such a way as to reach the goal, that is, heaven, as in the stadium… -
Hübner, Emil
HÜBNER, EMIL. - Philologist and archaeologist, b. in Düsseldorf in 1834, d. in Berlin in 1901. He devoted himself to studies of archaeology… -
Hülsen, Christian
HÜLSEN, CHRISTIAN. - Protestant archaeologist and epigrapher, b. at Charlottenburg on 29 Nov. 1858, d. at Florence on 19 Jan. 1935. A… -
Itineraries (ITINERARI)
ITINERARIES. - From iter, they are practical indicators of the road to be traveled in order to move from one place to another: sometimes,… -
Jalabert, Louis
JALABERT, LOUIS. - Epigrapher, b. in Lyon on 30 March 1877, d. in Nice on 12 Aug. 1943. Having entered the novitiate of the Society of… -
Jerusalem (GERUSALEMME)
JERUSALEM. - Principal city of Palestine, religious capital and center of biblical history. SUMMARY: I. Ancient history. - II. The… -
Joseph, Saint (GIUSEPPE, SANTO)
JOSEPH, Saint. - Husband of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus (Heb. Jōsēph, apocopated form of Jēhōsēph, "May Yahweh increase";… -
Judas Iscariot (GIUDA ISCARIOTA)
JUDAS ISCARIOT. - Apostle, sadly famous for having betrayed Jesus. Son of a certain Simon, from the city of Qerijoth (John 6:72; 13:2-26),… -
Kanzler, Rodolfo
KANZLER, RODOLFO. - Archaeologist and art connoisseur, son of the preceding, b. in Rome in 1861, d. there on 28 Feb. 1924. He was a… -
Keys (CLAVI)
KEYS. - An ornament of the Roman tunic; the clavi were two parallel purple stripes which, passing over the shoulders, ran down in front and… -
Kondakov, Nicodim Paulovitch
KONDAKOV, NICODIM PAULOVITCH. - Russian Byzantinist, b. at Chalan (government of Kursk), in 1844, d. at Prague on 16 February 1925. He… -
Labicum
LABICUM. - The city of L., also called "Labicum Quintanense", was situated at the fifteenth milestone on the Via Labicana, and as early as… -
Lacerna
LACERNA. - A short cloak, originally of coarse wool, used in Asia, introduced to Rome by Lucullus; disdained by Augustus (Suetonius, Aug.,… -
Lacunaria (Laquearia)
LACUNARIA (Laquearia). - As in earlier civil buildings, in Christian basilicas the ceiling consisted of intersecting beams forming a… -
Lambesis
LAMBESIS. - In Numidia (present-day Algeria) on the Aurès, on the Roman road toward the desert. It was the seat of the III Augusta legion… -
Lanciani, Rodolfo
LANCIANI, RODOLFO. - Archaeologist, b. at Montecelio (Rome) on 1 Jan. 1845, d. at Rome on 21 May 1929. He attended university studies in… -
Lazarus of Bethany (LAZZARO DI BETHANIA)
LAZARUS OF BETHANY. - Brother of Martha (v.) and of Mary, friend and table companion of Jesus (Jn 11:5, 36; Mt 21:17; Mk 11:11) and raised… -
Lead (PIOMBO)
LEAD. - Lead was used in antiquity for the most disparate purposes: for conduits, small crosses, weights, tokens, ampullae, small plaques,… -
Le Blant, Edmond-Frédéric (LE BLANT, EDMOND-FRÉDERIC)
LE BLANT, EDMOND-FRÉDÉRIC. - French epigrapher and archaeologist, b. in Paris on 12 Aug. 1818, d. there on 5 July 1897. He completed… -
Leclercq (d'Orlancourt), Henri
LECLERCQ (d'ORLANCOURT), HENRI. - Polymath, b. at Tournai on 4 Dec. 1869, d. in London on 23 March 1945. Naturalized French, he entered the… -
Leo (LEONE)
LEO. - In ancient Christian monuments the prophet Daniel is represented between two lions, both in sarcophagi and in the catacomb… -
Leprignano, Christian Cemetery of (LEPRIGNANO, CIMITERO CRISTIANO DI)
LEPRIGNANO, CHRISTIAN CEMETERY OF. - In December 1911, in the ancient Capenate territory (Rome), today called Capena, at the locality Monte… -
Leptis
LEPTIS. - A city in North Africa (Libya) which the Romans called Lepcis; to distinguish it from the namesake city in Byzacena it was called… -
Loculus (LOCULO)
LOCULUS. - Diminutivo di locus, che nella terminologia funeraria classica e cristiana (cf. iscrizioni cristiane con locus, in Diehl [v. op.… -
Luminary (LUMINARE)
LUMINARY. - In ancient Christian epigraphy this term sometimes occurs to indicate a vertical or oblique opening made in the tufa of the… -
Lupi, Antonio Maria
LUPI, ANTONIO MARIA. - Jesuit, born in Florence on 14 July 1695, died in Palermo on 3 November 1737. Most erudite in theology, philosophy,… -
Lupo
LUPO. - In the arcosolium of Celerina, in the cemetery of Praetextatus, Susanna is represented as a sheep between two wolves, designated as…