CHAPTER 6:  EARLY CHRISTIANITY:  RAVENNA AND BYZANTIUM

I.  LEARNING OBJECTIVES

·        To outline the consequences of the Fall of  Rome

·        To explain the theology of Augustine of Hippo and Boethius (of Ravenna)

·        To demonstrate the ascendancy of Byzantium through the architecture of Hagia Sophia

·        To Describe the Early Christian art and architecture of Ravenna

·        To explain Eastern monasticism

·        To document the persistence of Byzantine culture

II.  OUTLINE OF CHAPTER CONTENTS

The Transformation of Rome

          The Council of Nicaea

          Literature, Philosophy, and Religion

                   Ambrose

                   Augustine of Hippo

                             The Confessions

                             The City of God

                   Boethius

Byzantium

          Constantinople

                   The Hagia Sophia:  Monument and Symbol

                   Worship in the Hagia Sophia

                   Other Churches in Constantinople

Ravenna

          Mosaics

          Baptisteries

          Sant’Apollinare Nuovo

          San Vitale

                   Maximian’s Throne

          Saint Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai, Egypt

                   Icons

The Legacy of Byzantine Culture

          Russia

          Italy

          Byzantine Art

          The Literary, Philosophical, and Theological Aspects of Byzantine Culture

III.  FIGURES, MAPS, AND TABLES

Figure 6.1  Sandro Botticelli, Saint Augustine In His Study

Map 6.1  The Byzantine World

Map 6.2  Justinian’s Empire

Figure 6.2  Dome on Pendentives

Figure 6.3  Hagia Sophia

Figure 6.4  Interior of the Hagia Sophia

Figure 6.5  Mausoleum of Galla Placida, Ravenna

Figure 6.6  Christ as the Good Shepherd, mosaic

Figure 6.7  Baptisteries of the Orthodox and Arians, Ravenna

Figure 6.8  Church of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna

Figure 6.9  Miracle of the loaves and fishes.  Mosaic, Church of Sant’Apollinare

Figure 6.10  Church of San Vitale

Figure 6.11  Christ enthroned, with Saint Vitalis and Bishop Ecclesius, San Vitale

Figure 6.12  Emperor Justinian and courtiers, mosaic, San Vitale

Figure 6.13  Empress Theodora and retinue, mosaic, San Vitale

Figure 6.14  Bishop’s cathedra (“throne”) of Maximian

Figure 6.15  Aerial view of the fortress of Saint Catherine’s Monastery

Figure 6.16  Christ Pantocrator, Saint Catherine’s Monastery

IV.  SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASSROOM DISCUSSION

Augustine

1.  How does Augustine’s emphasis on man’s sinfulness set an anti-Classical tone?

2.  In what ways does Augustine mark the transition from the Greco-Roman world to the Middle Ages?

3.  What is the Augustinian view of humanity?

Augustine and Boethius

1.  Compare and contrast the viewpoints of Augustine and Boethius on (a) history and time and (b) human freedom.

2.  What power, if any, do you believe God exerts in human affairs?  Are natural disasters and disease “the will of god”?  What does this phrase mean to you?

Augustine and the Hero’s Quest

What elements of the hero’s quest are found in Augustine’s Confessions?

Compare and Contrast

Is the culture of Byzantium more like the culture of the Greeks, Romans, or the Egyptians?  Explain.

Byzantine Art

1.  Show a series of images for students to discuss the importance of light and its symbolism in Byzantine architecture and mosaics.

2.  How do we use icons in the present day?

San Vitale

Discuss the unusual features of San Vitale, including its centralized structure, its combination of religious and political subjects, and the symbolism and style of its mosaics.