Laser technology uncovers 1,600-year-old Christian frescoes in Rome's biggest catacomb

 

Bestiola

Nequissima

  • Civis Illustris

  • Sacerdos Isidis

Deep in a labyrinth of dank tunnels, in the heart of Rome’s oldest and largest catacombs, archaeologists have discovered an exquisite set of 1,600-year-old frescoes painted to commemorate the city’s early Christians.

Experts used the latest laser technology to uncover the centuries of grime which had rendered the frescoes invisible. The discovery has shed new light on the process by which wealthy Romans shifted away from their pagan beliefs and embraced the new religion of Christ in the fourth century AD.
TELEMMGLPICT000130457731-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqaRL1kC4G7DT9ZsZm6Pe3PehAFAI_f6ud569StXyOKH0.jpeg

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/30/laser-technology-uncovers-1600-year-old-christian-frescoes-romes/
 

Hawkwood

.

  • Civis

“Rich Romans were the last to convert to Christianity."
Fabrizio Bisconti

In all societies I think the aristocracy is the least religious. Merely an assumption by myself with a bit of sauce to it but it's good to punt at these things. Why not.
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

  • Civis Illustris

  • Sacerdos Isidis

“Rich Romans were the last to convert to Christianity."
Fabrizio Bisconti

In all societies I think the aristocracy is the least religious. Merely an assumption by myself with a bit of sauce to it but it's good to punt at these things. Why not.
I'm not an expert on Rome, but here for example, in Dalmatia, in the period of 4-6th century Christianity was so popular that the rich people poured money into the building of church architecture. In Salona, one of the biggest centres of early Christianity, the whole church city arose on the graves of the saints (they all wanted to be buried ad sanctos). The old forum was basically abandoned, even an oil press was found there where used to be the center of the whole province.

 

Iáson

Cívis Illústris

  • Civis Illustris

In all societies I think the aristocracy is the least religious.
There is a difference between 'not religious' and 'not Christian'. And Christianity was a cult which appealed very directly to the poor, as opposed to eg. the cult of Mithras.
 

Iohannes Aurum

Technicus Auxiliarius

  • Technicus Auxiliarius

Location:
Torontum, Ontario, Canada
And Christianity was a cult which appealed very directly to the poor, as opposed to eg. the cult of Mithras.
...in contrast to the Christian right in the United States
 

Hawkwood

.

  • Civis

There is a difference between 'not religious' and 'not Christian'.
I agree.

Edit: Just to clarify, I took that quote from Bestiola's Telegraph link. I probably should have stated that in the first place. It wasn't just a random name I'd pulled off the cyberstreets.



Wasn't most atheists from the aristocracy? I'm sure Roman and Greek authors have touched upon this before.
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

  • Civis Illustris

  • Sacerdos Isidis

There is a difference between 'not religious' and 'not Christian'. And Christianity was a cult which appealed very directly to the poor, as opposed to eg. the cult of Mithras.
And yet the cult of Mithras helped the assimilation of Christianity and some elements of the mithraic cult were used afterwards in Christianity as well...
 

Iáson

Cívis Illústris

  • Civis Illustris

And yet the cult of Mithras helped the assimilation of Christianity and some elements of the mithraic cult were used afterwards in Christianity as well...
To some extent. Although I had heard that the relations between the cults were somewhat competitive, if not violent, and many of Mithraic temples were destroyed by the Christians.
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

  • Civis Illustris

  • Sacerdos Isidis

I agree.

Edit: Just to clarify, I took that quote from Bestiola's Telegraph link. I probably should have stated that in the first place. It wasn't just a random name I'd pulled off the cyberstreets.



Wasn't most atheists from the aristocracy? I'm sure Roman and Greek authors have touched upon this before.
Well the rate of conversion was 40% per decade, and of course, after it had became official, the rate must have been even higher. Peter Brown states (in Statistics and the Conversion of the Roman Aristocracy) that the wealthy aristocracy was indeed resenting Christian empires for quite some time, while some others state that the more educated were the ones who were more eager to convert; it seems that the general consensus is hard to reach...

https://www.humanscience.org/docs/Stark (1996) Rise of Christianity 1-2.pdf
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

  • Civis Illustris

  • Sacerdos Isidis

To some extent. Although I had heard that the relations between the cults were somewhat competitive, if not violent, and many of Mithraic temples were destroyed by the Christians.
I have also heard of angry mob destroying temples, but lately it seems that the investigations indicate that the temples have mostly been reused. As far as Mithraic temples are concerned, I know that in province of Dalmatia they have been mostly reused (like most other temples). And I know of London Mithraeum. But for others it's hard to tell with certainty.
 
 

Bestiola

Nequissima

  • Civis Illustris

  • Sacerdos Isidis

Regarding Mithraism, in 1954 at Walbrook, a street in the city of London, the remains of a remarkable underground temple eighteen feet beneath city streets was discovered during building work. Dating to the mid third century, it yielded an array of intriguing archaeological treasures including fine marble sculptures of the gods Mithras, Minerva and Serapis, which now reside in the Roman London Gallery of the Museum of London.
http://in 1954 at Walbrook, a street in the city of London, the remains of a remarkable underground temple eighteen feet beneath city streets was discovered during building work. Dating to the mid third century, it yielded an array of intriguing archaeological treasures including fine marble sculptures of the gods Mithras, Minerva and Serapis, which now reside in the Roman London Gallery of the Museum of London. Just four years earlier, 300 miles north at Carrawburgh on Hadrian’s Wall, two subterranean early third century temples to the enigmatic cult returned evidence including sculptures, religious utensils and three altars dedicated to Mithras by commanding officers of the Roman Army unit stationed there, the First Cohort of Batavians from the Rhineland.
Just four years earlier, 300 miles north at Carrawburgh on Hadrian’s Wall, two subterranean early third century temples to the enigmatic cult returned evidence including sculptures, religious utensils and three altars dedicated to Mithras by commanding officers of the Roman Army unit stationed there, the First Cohort of Batavians from the Rhineland.

 
Top