Sometimes Christ was depicted on the cross alone, perhaps between the other two criminals crucified with him.
It was called a “crux gemmata,” or “gemmed cross.”įrom the sixth century through the early Middle Ages, artistic representations of the Crucifixion became more common. The cross that appears in mosaic is a golden cross adorned with round or square precious gems, a visual representation of the victory over sin and death achieved by Christ’s death. With imperial financial support, these large buildings were decorated with intricate mosaics depicting figures from the scriptures, especially of Christ and the apostles. Numerous Christian churches were constructed in the Roman Empire during the fourth and fifth centuries. One section of what was believed to be the true cross was kept and venerated on Good Friday in Jerusalem from the mid-fourth century until its conquest by a Muslim caliph in the seventh century. Helena’s supposed “finding” of the cross itself was given its own feast day in May: the “Invention of the Cross.” Both feasts were celebrated in Rome by the seventh century. The September date of that church’s dedication came to be celebrated as the feast of the “Exaltation of the Cross.” Believers said a miraculous healing took place when a sick woman was touched with one piece, proof that it was a section of the actual cross of Christ.Ĭonstantine built a large church, the Martyrium, over what was assumed to be the location of Jesus’ tomb. He authorized excavation of some of the holy sites of Christ’s life in what came to be called the “Holy Land.” At the time, it was part of the Roman province of Syria Palestina, bracketed by the Jordan River to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the west and Syria to the north.īy the fifth century, the legend arose that pieces of crosses were uncovered by Constantine’s mother, Helena, during these excavations. In the early fourth century, Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity. Christians, then, frequently referred to the Christ’s cross both as the “wood of life” and as a “victorious Cross.” The true cross? This Resurrection was a sign of Christ’s “victory” over sin and death.īelievers could share in this victory by being baptized, forgiven of past sin and “reborn” into a new life in the Christian community, the church.
They understood Christ’s death on the cross to be “completed” by God’s raising him from the dead three days later. The caricature of “Alexamenos,” offering prayers to this crucified figure was a way of depicting Christ with a donkey’s head and ridiculing his god.īut for Christians, the cross had deep meaning. The building is 157 metres long, 92 metres across and the façade is 68 metres wide.Second century pagan graffito depicting a man worshipping a crucified donkey-headed figure.Ī famous piece of early-third century Roman wall art, the “Alexamenos graffito,” depicts two human figures, with the head of a donkey, arms stretched out in a T-shaped cross, with the caption “Alexamenos worships his god.”Ĭhristianity was outlawed at the time in the Roman Empire and criticized by some as a religion for fools. The size of a television screen is measured from the higher corner of one side to the lower corner of the other side, that is, from one corner across to the opposite corner.Īcross comes after measurements when we talk about diameter or width: We also use across to refer to the width or diagonal measurement of something: She’s opened coffee shops across the city and they’re very successful.Īcross the country, people are coming out to vote for a new president. within an organisation, a city or a country: We use across to emphasise that something is happening at the same time in many places, e.g.
The pharmacy is across from the Town Hall. Then she cut it in two.Įspecially in American English, across from is used to refer to people or objects being ‘opposite’ or ‘on the other side’:
She divided the page by drawing a red line across it. The Ponte Vecchio is a beautiful old bridge across the river Arno in Florence. We also use across when something touches or stretches from one side to another: The road was so busy that we found it difficult to get across. My neighbour came across to see me this morning to complain about our cat. Across the room, she could see some old friends. Across means on the other side of something, or from one side to the other of something which has sides or limits such as a city, road or river: We use across as a preposition (prep) and an adverb (adv).
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