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E05780: Agnellus of Ravenna, in his Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis, quotes a 6th c. Latin inscription which refers to the creation of mosaics depicting the Apostles in the baptistry of the basilica Ursiana, now the 'Orthodox Baptistery', in Ravenna (northern Italy) in 450/73. These mosaics survive today. Account written in Latin in Ravenna in 830/46.
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posted on 2018-06-19, 00:00 authored by CSLA AdminAgnellus of Ravenna, Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis 28
Fontes Vrsianae ecclesiae pulcherrime decorauit; musiua et auratis tessellis apostolorum imagines et nomina camera circumfinxit, parietes promiscuis lapidibus cinxit.
‘He (Neon) decorated the baptistery of the Ursiana church most beautifully: he set up in mosaic and gold tesserae the images of the Apostles and their names in the vault, he girded the side-walls with different types of stone.’
Neon’s involvement is attested by an inscription, which Agnellus provides:
Cede, uetus nomen, nouitati cede uetustas!
Pulchrius ecce nitet renouati gloria Fontis.
Magnanimus hunc namque Neon summus que sacerdos
Excoluit, pulchro componens omnia cultu.
'Yield, old name, yield, age, to newness! Behold the glory of the renewed font shines more beautifully. For generous Neon, highest priest, has adorned it, arranging all things in beautiful refinement.'
The images of the Apostles survive until this day. They depict twelve apostles, dressed in gold and white, against a blue background. Their portraits are arranged like spokes on a wheel around a central medallion depicting Christ’s baptism by *John (the Baptist, S00020) in the river Jordan – alongside a personification of the river. Each apostle carries a crown. *Peter (S00036) and *Paul (S00008) are clearly identifiable underneath Christ's feet. None of the apostles are haloed. All the apostles are labelled, but these labels are not clear today.
Text: Deliyannis 2006. Translation: Deliyannis 2004, modified.
Fontes Vrsianae ecclesiae pulcherrime decorauit; musiua et auratis tessellis apostolorum imagines et nomina camera circumfinxit, parietes promiscuis lapidibus cinxit.
‘He (Neon) decorated the baptistery of the Ursiana church most beautifully: he set up in mosaic and gold tesserae the images of the Apostles and their names in the vault, he girded the side-walls with different types of stone.’
Neon’s involvement is attested by an inscription, which Agnellus provides:
Cede, uetus nomen, nouitati cede uetustas!
Pulchrius ecce nitet renouati gloria Fontis.
Magnanimus hunc namque Neon summus que sacerdos
Excoluit, pulchro componens omnia cultu.
'Yield, old name, yield, age, to newness! Behold the glory of the renewed font shines more beautifully. For generous Neon, highest priest, has adorned it, arranging all things in beautiful refinement.'
The images of the Apostles survive until this day. They depict twelve apostles, dressed in gold and white, against a blue background. Their portraits are arranged like spokes on a wheel around a central medallion depicting Christ’s baptism by *John (the Baptist, S00020) in the river Jordan – alongside a personification of the river. Each apostle carries a crown. *Peter (S00036) and *Paul (S00008) are clearly identifiable underneath Christ's feet. None of the apostles are haloed. All the apostles are labelled, but these labels are not clear today.
Text: Deliyannis 2006. Translation: Deliyannis 2004, modified.
History
Evidence ID
E05780Type of Evidence
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)Language
- Latin