Why do you think Christian architects during the first half of Late Antiquity decided on the basilica as the standard form for most Christian churches?

EACH QUESTION SHOULD BE 200-300 WORDS EACH AND USE THE APPROPRIATE

SOURCE LISTED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

BOOK: Gates, Charles. Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Second edition. New York: Routledge, 2011.

Please make sure to get the second edition of this book.

USE FOR SOURCES:
Unit 12: Late Antiquity I
Readings: Rodleys Byzantine Art and Architecture 8-44

Unit 13: Late Antiquity II
Readings: Rodleys Byzantine Art and Architecture 58-89

QUESTIONS:
Here are the possible discussion topics for this week (ONLY PICK 2 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER):

Compare the design of the Late Antique Christian basilica to that of the standard Greek and/or Roman temples we learned about earlier in the semester what differences and similarities do they share? One difference that archaeologists have been thinking about for a long time is the switch from exterior to interior emphasis in decoration Greco-Roman temples featured elaborate art and architectural designs on their exteriors, whereas early Christian basilicas emphasized artistic and architectural designs on their interiors. Why do you think this is? Remember that pagan temples were houses for a deitys statue were they really intended to accommodate worshippers inside the temple itself? How did a Christian church differ in this regard?

Why do you think Christian architects during the first half of Late Antiquity decided on the basilica as the standard form for most Christian churches? Remember that Christianity was booming during the 4th and 5th centuries CE what aspects of the basilical form would have been particularly useful in drawing in large numbers of Christian converts to church services? Be sure to consider specific features of basilicas that are discussed by Rodley. Furthermore, how would the basilica have been seen as a familiar design for Romans who chose to convert to Christianity how would it have given them a sense of continuity from the old, pagan, Roman Empire to the new, Christian, Roman Empire? (See Gates 337-338 and 359 for pre-Christian basilicas).

Discuss the new Roman/Byzantine capital city of Constantinople. In what ways was the city a planned Christian, and especially Roman, capital? Constantine founded Constantinople with the intention that it be understood as Christian from its foundation, unlike the older city of Rome, which had started out as pagan. What aspects of the citys design gave it this Christian character? More importantly (for this discussion), however, Constantinople had to be given the trappings of a great Roman city designed for a (Christian) emperor. In what ways did the Romans/Byzantines emphasize Constantinoples status as a thoroughly Roman capital? (Although Rodley dedicates a specific section to Constantinople, please keep in mind that there are other bits about the citys art and architecture scattered throughout this weeks readings as well).

One of the most fascinating things that occurred during Late Antiquity was the reuse and combining of older, pagan archaeological materials in Christian sites. How did Christians at the time emperors, architects, commoners, etc. choose to reuse artistic and architectural materials from earlier periods in Greek, Roman, etc. history in a new Christian context? How were such past materials combined with Christian archaeological materials? Most significantly, why do you think the Christians combined things in this way? You might approach this question from one of several angles: they were Christians whose religion was triumphing over the old pagan religion, but they were also Romans who identified with the thousand-year history of Roman civilization. How might these attitudes have influenced the practice of archaeological reuse?

In what ways did the Christianization of the Roman Empire change (or not change) artistic aesthetics and depictions? Think about the artistic mediums of sculpture (architectural, relief, and freestanding), mosaic, and painting. How did artists respond to the religious demands of Christianity when creating artwork during the first half of Late Antiquity? For example, how was it acceptable to depict Jesus and other Christian religious subjects in artwork? Why were such methods permissible, while others were considered less acceptable? In what ways were artistic depictions of nonreligious subjects affected by the rise of Christianity?

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