Essay On The Domitilla Catacombs

Cultures that are no longer alive and thriving are survived through their dead and the artifacts that can be found due to their funerary practices. Changes that occur in funerary practices reflect a transformation in the society. One of the extreme funerary transitions that occurred in the ancient roman period is from cremation to the practice of inhumation. This transition is in part due a change in religious practices from pagan to Christian. Funerary practices are a physical way to document the changes that occur in the society, and the Domitilla Catacombs is an example of this transition from pagan to Christian religion within ancient Rome. Through this religious shift, the Domitilla Catacombs experienced a physical alteration that is evident through the addition of a basilica and early Christian art found in the catacombs. These Christian aspects are in conversation with the older pagan characteristics of the catacombs and illustrate a shift the catacomb underwent transitioning from pagan to Christian during the third century AD. Christianity spread to Rome during the first century AD, threatening the Roman culture …show more content…
There is a small cubiculum of Eros and Psyche that contain poorly preserved frescos “which show Eros and Psyche gathering flowers surrounded by flowers and birds.” Other pagan iconography include images of a dolphin pair, Daniel among the lions, and fishermen. There are several reasons why the pagan frescos are not as well preserved as the Christian frescos. The pagan frescos are typically dated to the pagan era of the catacombs, which is about a century older than the Christian era. Furthermore, as the conversion from pagan to Christian undertook the catacombs, Christian iconography replaced pagan themes in an effort fully comply with the new religious principles and values of the people buried