Christian Art

The Beginning of Christian Art

In the first two centuries of Christianity there weren't any form of art recorded.

Christians meet in small groups in a private phone and conducted simple services. In

these services they would eat wine and bread that reminded them of Christ sacrifice on

the cross. (Lamm 175)

Christian symbols were a major form of art in the earlier years of Christian art. The

Egyptian, Greek, and Romans artist had different symbols that represented different

things. The Greeks created gods of their own image. For example, Zeus with the

thunderbolt. This symbolized that this was the god of power. (176) Some artist

cam e up with a variety of solutions using biblical stories, parables, and symbols to

design Christian art.(177)

In the age of Constantine, Constantine proclaimed freedom of religion in the Edict and

Milan in 313. For centuries basilicas were constructed by the Romans. The basilicas served as

meeting halls, mercantile centers, and halls of justice. There were two basilicas that were built in

the early centuries. They were Old St. Peters and St. Paul's. The outside walls of St. Paul were

destroyed by fire in 1823 and rebuilt in 1854. (180)

In 404 Ravenna became the capital of the Western Empire under Honorius. Ravenna fell

under Odoacer in 476, but emerged as the capital of Theodoric Ostrogothic kingdom between the

years of 489-526. Ravenna concluded its royal careen as the western capital of Justinian's

Byzantine Empire during 527-565. (181)

Justinian marked the beginning of the Byzantine style from 527-565. It was notable for

artistic production and for Justinian legal code. Operating from his capitals of Constantinople in

the East and Ravenna in the West, Justinian was the emperor of the Roman and Oriental

potentate, in witch later became Byzantine Empire. (183)

In 330 Constantine was known as "New Rome." The city was very popular. It was the

sumptuous of Byzantine civilization for over 1,000 years. The faith of Orthodox was totally

dominate in that city. In 532 the Blues and Greens rival chariot-racing joined forces and revolted

against the autocratic rule of Justinian and Theodora. The imperial troops put down the

revolution by slaying about 30,000 people and most of the public buildings were destroyed,

including Basilica of Hagia Sophia (The Church of Holy Wisdom).(185)

Because the first Hagia Sophia was destroyed, Justinian hired a mathematician to design

another one.