Approaching the Divine: Memory of Patrons and Donors in 4th and Early-5th-Century Christianity through Funerary and Material Culture
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | In a pivotal moment for the development of Christianity such as the turn between the 4th and the 5th centuries CE, the sacred space was gradually defined. A new focus was put on martyrs' burials, access to them and to the altar was restricted to the clergy during rituals. The contribution aims to present the approach of donors to the sacred core of Christian shrines to elude these restrictions. Two case studies are included: the sanctuary of S. Alessandro sulla Via Nomentana (Rome) and the Water Newton Treasure (British Museum). The cemeterial sanctuary was completely renovated in the early 5th century when the cult of relics was improved. This intervention was mainly promoted by bishop Ursus and led to the gradual “appropriation” of the sanctuary space by new religious and lay donors through their funerary monuments. Their bodily remains and monumental epigraphies granted their presence by the sacred space. The Water Newton Treasure, found in 1975 in the Romano-British town of Durobrivae (UK), is the oldest known example of Christian liturgical and votive silverware. It can be related to S. Alessandro to show the other forms of expressions of piety through the offering of vessels and votives, following and renovating a practice dating back to antique polytheisms. Once agian, the objects ensured the inclusion of the donors within the sacred space, and even in rituals, through their name. Backed by written sources, these examples allow us to grasp the complexity of the sacred space as a combination of architectural setting, liturgical paraphernalia, and votives. Within it, the memory of donors stands out in its association with that of the martyrs and the addressed God, showing the strategies used to get closer to the altar and the martyrial burials, otherwise exclusive to the clergy. |