AR 206

HISTORY OF ARCITECTURE, ART

& CULTURE II
UNIT-II EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE
AR. SOMI SAREEN
LECTURE: 06.10.2020
CONTEXTUAL PARAMETERS
FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL
DEVELOPMENT
With Christianity widely
accepted as a state religion in
Rome, it was necessary for
Architecture to respond to the
demands of the religion for
worship space.

Mode of worship was the

most important determinant
of the form of the church.
PHYSICAL CONTEXT
G E O G R A P H I C A L
G E O L O G I C A L
C L I M A T E
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Christianity had its birth in Judaea , an eastern province of
the roman empire, spread and carried by St.Peter, St.Paul
and other missionaries to Rome, as the center of the World
– Empire

Early Christian architecture at Rome was influenced by,

and was the logical outcome of, existing Roman
architecture, modified in other parts of the empire
according to the type already recognized as suitable for the
geographical situation of those countries, such as Syria,
asia minor , north Africa, and Egypt
GEOLOGICAL SETTING
Geological influences may be said to have acted indirectly
on Early Christian architecture for the ruins of roman
building often provided the quarry where obtained. This
influenced the style, both as regard to construction and
decoration.

Columns and other architectural features, as well as fine

sculptures and mosaics from older building, were
incorporated into basilican churches of the new faith.
INFLUENCE OF THE CLIMATE
North Italy has the climate of the temperate region of Europe .
Center Italy is genial and sunny. Southern Italy is almost tropical.
This variety of climatic condition is sufficient to account for
diversity of architectural features and treatment in the peninsula
itself.

The climatic conditions in Roman provinces as Egypt , Syria, and

North Africa where Christianity was established were varied , and
naturally modified the style in those countries where the fiercer
sun and hotter climatic necessitated small windows and other
Eastern features.
 OTHER
INFLUENCE
S

Socio-
Political

Religious Historical
KEY EVENTS
Two important moments played a critical role in the development of early Christianity:

1. The decision of the Apostle Paul to spread Christianity beyond the Jewish communities
of Palestine into the Greco-Roman world.
2. When the Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity and became its patron at the
beginning of the fourth century
The creation and nature of Christian art were directly impacted by these moments.
RELIGION: Spread of Christianity
Christianity in its first three centuries was one of a large number of mystery religions that
flourished in the Roman world.
Religion in the Roman world was divided between the public, inclusive cults of civic
religions and the secretive, exclusive mystery cults.
The emphasis in the civic cults was on customary practices, especially sacrifices. Since
the early history of the polis or city state in Greek culture, the public cults played an
important role in defining civic identity
RELIGION: Spread of Christianity
In all human history there is no record so
striking as that of the rise of Christianity a
phenomenon so outstanding as the rapidity
with which it was diffused throughout the
civilized world, and, not only in this period but
also in all subsequent ages.
Christianity has inspired the building of some
of the greatest architectural monuments.
RELIGION: Spread of Christianity
Paul spread Christianity to the Greek and
Roman cities of the ancient Mediterranean
world.
The Roman Empire then had a polytheistic
religion.

Christianity was considered to be illegal and

Christians would be prosecuted this resulted
them to worship in secret..
RELIGION: Ideologies
1. The God preached by S. Paul was " not like unto gold or silver or stone graven by art and
device of man," nor a God that dwelled " in temples made with hands " like those of the old
Greeks and Romans which were built to shelter the statues of the gods.
2. Purpose of the Christian church was to shelter worshippers who met for prayer and praise to
an unseen Deity, and, during the unsettled conditions at the beginning of Christianity,
various places were adapted for this worship.
3. Building of pagan temples ceased before any attempt was made to build Christian
churches.
4. In A.D. 313 Constantine issued his celebrated decree from Milan, giving Christianity equal
rights with other religions.
5. In A.D. 323 he himself professed Christianity, which became the official religion of the
Roman Empire, and the Christians then began to build churches of a type suit-able to their
needs and ritual..
RELIGION: Ideologies
1. The God preached by S. Paul was " not like unto gold or silver or stone graven by art and
device of man," nor a God that dwelled " in temples made with hands " like those of the old
Greeks and Romans which were built to shelter the statues of the gods.
2. Purpose of the Christian church was to shelter worshippers who met for prayer and praise to
an unseen Deity, and, during the unsettled conditions at the beginning of Christianity,
various places were adapted for this worship.
3. Building of pagan temples ceased before any attempt was made to build Christian
churches.
4. In A.D. 313 Constantine issued his celebrated decree from Milan, giving Christianity equal
rights with other religions.
5. In A.D. 323 he himself professed Christianity, which became the official religion of the
Roman Empire, and the Christians then began to build churches of a type suit-able to their
needs and ritual..
CHRISTIANS
FIRST
WORSHIPPED
ALONG SIDE
JEWS IN
SYNAGOGUES
AND PRIVATE
HOUSES
CHRISTIANS
FIRST
WORSHIPPED
ALONG SIDE
JEWS IN
SYNAGOGUES
AND PRIVATE
HOUSES
But due to the
latter
separation
between the
Jews and
Christians, they
continued
worshipping in
private houses
of the
wealthier
Christians
about 70CE
SOCIO-POLITICAL CONTEXT
1. Constantine changed the capital of the Empire from
Rome to Byzantium in A.D. 324, when the old Roman
political system came to an end, and reigned as an
absolute monarch till his death in A.D. 337.
2. Christianity suffered disabilities upon the division of the
Roman Empire, which first took place in A.D. 365 when
Valentinian became Emperor of the West and his
brother Valens of the East.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
1. The Early Christian period is generally taken as lasting from Constantine to the death of
Gregory the Great (A.D. 604), although in Rome and many Italian cities it continued up to the
tenth century.
2. Huns incursions into Germany about A.D. 376 eventually brought about invasions from the
north into Italy, and in A.D. 410 Rome itself was sacked by the Goths under Alaric.
3. Spread of the new religion was arrested during this period of change and upheaval, till A.D.
451, the defeat of Attila, King of the Huns, at the battle of Chalons aided in the consolidation
of Christianity in Europe .
4. In A.D. 800 Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope in Rome, and from this date the Empire
was styled the Holy Roman Empire, a title retained till A.D. 1800
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
1. Under Pope Gregory the Great (A.D. 590–604) Early Christian architecture, the latest phase of
Roman art, gradually fell into disuse, and for the next two centuries architectural development
was practically at a standstill in Europe Even though the influence of Byzantium asserted itself,
old Roman traditions were in abeyance till the time when Romanesque architecture gradually
evolved.