Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, marble, 359 C.E., almost 8 x 6 x 5 feet (Museum of the Treasury of the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican)
speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Also worthy of note is that the upper arcade is depicted with a full proportional entablature (architrave frieze and cornice with wheel-and-bead molding), indicating that the artist was well aware of the classical orders and the arrangement. This knowledge and fidelity to order disappears as the Byzantine era emerges.
Thank you for all of the details, descriptions and labels!
Thank you guys for coming in clutch for my history essay🙏🙏
Thank you for this journey in the time of transition from paganism to christianity! As usual perfect!
Wonderful!
What a striking impression this sarcophagus makes! Takes me back to the earliest playlists, where seeing pieces like this felt more common while still managing to blow me away...
“Traditio Legis” was interesting to learn about because I tend to associate Big G with being the Lawgiver and Jesus having more, “You guys just need to love each other” energy, lol. I’m also not used to seeing him in this Roman style.
I wonder how the depicted scenes were chosen and ordered the way they were. I’m sure those details aren’t happenstance, but I can’t see what the connection is in how they’re presented.
The infographic at the end was appreciated, though!
It was fun making the end graphic.
😂❤ You would say that, lol.@@smarthistory-art-history
You’re voices make this even better
After Constantine converted it became very good for your political career if you converted too!
I had never before seen in reproductions of this important work the panels of putti and grapes, which reminded me of similar imagery featured on the porphyry sarcophagus of Constantine's daughter, also dating to the fourth century. One discerns here the foundations of the depiction of cherubs in subsequent Christian art, a transfer of pagan motifs into a Christian idiom.
I wanted to point out that the date of 357 C.E. for Junius Bassus' monument is given at one point in the presentation (specifically at 2:43), while elsewhere in the upload, the date of 359 C.E. is otherwise attested.
oops! I'll fix that. Thanks.
Could the grapes with the Putti also be seen as Christian imagery? Like grapes symbolizing the wine which is the blood of Christ?
I imagine that it was easy and fairly common for a polytheist to - at least initially - simply add Jesus Christ to the list of all the other gods that he or she worshiped. For many, there must have been a transitional period in which JC was treated the same as Venus or Apollo. Then as the 4th Century got underway, people would have focused on JC exclusively as the other gods fell out of imperial favor. That’s just a guess, but it at least seems possible!
What is the song that plays at the beginning and end of the vid.
A theory on this. Constantius II was Emperor at this time. He was a member of a Christian sect called Arianism, which was non-Trinitarian. I suspect that might be a factor in how Christ is portrayed in this sarcophagus, because in Arian Christian art in Italy from the Ostrogothic period, Christ is also portrayed without a beard.
This is so Interesting! I wonder what Junius, a previously pagan Roman, might have thought of the fact that Jesus was crucified by Romans. And how Romans were not exactly painted in a favourable light in the bible or the Stories that became the bible later. Might he have felt some sort of guilt?
“Pilate asked, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they began to shout loudly, “He should be crucified!” Pilate saw that he was not getting anywhere. Instead, a riot was breaking out. So Pilate took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. He said, “I won’t be guilty of killing this man. Do what you want!””
Matthew 27:23-24
Before the Edikt of Mailand maybe 10 - 20% of the population were christians. Not all of them knew the history of Christ, since the were more interested in salvation by baptism and holy supper. The historic Jesus was uninteresting for them, only death and resurrection was important. After the emperor was a decelerated fan of christianity many became christians because of political reasons, there was no bible teaching, no theological studies in the latin speaking part of the empire.
The Gospel writers took pains to absolve Roman authorities of responsibility for Jesus' execution. Instead, guilt was imputed upon the Jews--"Let his blood be upon us." The anti-Semitism that has plagued Western history throughout the Christian era is rooted in this blaming of the Jews by the Gospel writers.
@@barrymoore4470
Aided to a great degree by the conquest of Judea by the Romans and exile of the Jews in 70 A.D..
@@barrymoore4470 It's not that simple! The fundamental theme of the Gospel is "exactly that must happen." Thus, the Jews are merely instruments of God's plan. "Let His blood be upon us" is a statement of salvation, as the blood cleanses from sins. Anti-Judaism enters through a misinterpretation of the Gospel, a misinterpretation you repeat.
Anti-Semitism only emerged with the doctrine of racial theory; before that, it was anti-Judaism, which is a significant distinction!
Wanna see the pagan sides too!
Interesting to note that early converts to Christianity were drawn to familiar transcendental themes from pagan narratives prior to the later victimization mindset from the retooling of Christianity of a bearded Christ.
The gospels themselves follow Greco-Roman story ideas. See the works of Walsh and Miller for fuller details.
Now let's have a look at the pagan side. :)
The pagan side is a standard motif that seems to be related to the harvest populated with putti (chubby winged boys). You can see this motif for example in the mosaic on the ceiling of Santa Costanze though the figures there lack wings.
@@smarthistory-art-history Thank you!