Issues:
1. Church as the Civitas Dei (City of God); Heavenly Jerusalem, the Heavenly Mass; Christ's Adventus and Incarnation. Book of Revelation
2. New representations of Christ and the Virgin
a. church discussions concerning the true nature of Christ and the Virgin, the Councils of Nicaea in 324, Ephesus in 431, and Chalcedon in 451;
b. the appropriation of imperial and pagan iconography giving new status to Christ and Virgin
3. Continual dialog between the classical and the abstract styles (classical revivals--the Sixtine "Renaissance" under Pope Sixtus III and, the "renaissance" under Julian the Apostate)
4. Narrative, devotional, and symbolic images
5. Recurrent iconoclasm, prohibition of images

I. THE DECORATION OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH (MOSAICS)

Mosaic Decoration/Technique. Christ as the Sun God Helios (Sol Invictus), Mausoleum of the Julii, Rome, 250-275. Santa Costanza, Rome, c. 350, ambulatory vault mosaics, vintaging scene. Note: tesserae

Church as the Heavenly Jerusalem. Eusebius describes church as ecclesia (church as the assembly of the faithful); civitas dei (city of God); basilica (house of the king). The church as a place for the celebration of earthly mass that mirrors the Heavenly Mass, presided over by Christ and described in the Book of Revelation.

The appearance of Christ occurs twice--the Incarnation of Christ as the son of God to redeem mankind (as described in the four Gospels) and the Adventus or second coming of Christ to judge mankind, appearing as the Maiestas Domini (Lord in Majesty). Representation of Christ's Adventus is borrowed from imperial images of the Adventus of the Emperor before the city gate, the palace portal or the triumphal arch. (e.g. Arch of Constantine, Diocletian's Palace at Split, the Missorium of Theodosius, late fourth century)

"After these things I looked, and behold a door was opened in heaven...and upon the throne one sitting. ...and there was a rainbow round about the throne....And round about the throne were four and twenty seats; and upon the seats, four and twenty ancients sitting, clothed in white garments, and on their heads were crowns of gold. And from the throne proceeded lighting, and voices, and thunders; and there were seven lamps burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And in the sight of the throne was, as it were, a sea of glass like to crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion; and the second living creature like a calf; and the third living creature, having the face, as it were, of a man; and the fourth living creature was like an eagle flying. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings;... And they rested not day and night, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. (Revelation 4:1-8) 

A. The Portal. Three locations of portals--the propylaeum (precedes atrium); the facade (precedes nave); and triumphal arch (precedes apse or transept).
--West facade of Old Saint Peter's Rome, mosaics (dating before 8th century). Adventus of Christ and Twenty Four Elders
--Triumphal arch of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, c. 432-40. Council of Ephesus, 431, Incarnation of Christ, Virgin as Theotokos (Mother of God), Pope Sixtus III (430-40).
cf. Arch of Titus, Rome, 81

B. The Nave. Old and New Testament narrative scenes. Nave mosaics of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, c. 432-40. Scene of the Parting of Lot and Abraham and scene of Abraham and the Three Angels

C. The Apse. The appropriation of Imperial Iconography in new representations of Christ. Santa Pudenziana, Rome, c. 400, apse mosaic of Christ in Majesty; church of the Gentiles (personification) behind Paul and Church of the Jews (personification) behind Peter. Four beasts of the Apocalypse. Cross (crux gemmata) Mount Golgotha. Council of Nicaea 324 (Christ as unbegotten (eternal) and consubstantial (of the same essence as the Father)). Pope Innocent I (402-17). Council of Chalcedon 451 (the Two Natures of Christ).
cf. Early Christian representations of Christ as Good Shepherd, Christ as Orpheus, Christ as Helios
cf. Constantine on the Rostra, Arch of Constantine, Rome, 312-315

II. THE ILLUMINATED BOOK

Development from roll to codex. Author portraits. Importance of Book in Christianity (Old Testament, New Testament, Revelation)

Classical Sources. (Late Antique) Vatican Vergil, scene of instruction in the art of husbandry, early fifth century. The Calendar of 354, Constantius II as Consul (Vatican City, copy)

Old Testament Books. (Early Christian) Vienna Genesis, 6th century, Greek text, produced in Constantinople, a purple codex. Scene of Rebecca at the Well, continuous narrative.
cf. Column of Trajan, Rome, 113.

New Testament Books. Rosanno Gospels, 6th century, Rossano, functioned as Lectionary, Scene of Trial of Christ, (domus Pilati from praetorium in Jerusalem). Saint Mark, Evangelist portrait. (compare to Calendar of 354)

III. OTHER MEDIA (IVORIES), commemorative objects

Priestess Celebrating the Rites of Bacchus, c. 380-400, Leaf of ivory diptych of the Nicomachi and the Symmachi.
cf. Procession, east frieze, Parthenon, 448-32 B.C.
St. Michael the Archangel, early sixth century. Leaf of ivory diptych.
Diptych of Anastasius, 517, Ivory diptych.

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