The archeologist-author of this fascinating free e-book (links below) is
knowledgeable and confidently Christian in a way modern scholars try to avoid,
in public at least. Published toward the
end of the 1800s, the book discusses for the amateur archeologist and for the
visitor to Rome the new discoveries that were being unearthed ever year at that
time. The author unhesitatingly links the
catacombs and cemeteries, temples and churches, tombs and mausoleums to Rome's
history as the founding city of Catholicism.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the monuments of
the city of Rome were plundered, patched up, stripped, restored, then neglected
for a long time before being plundered by Italians during the Renaissance for
building materials and decorations for new palaces for the rich and powerful. The author explains much of this history without losing sight of the present-day Rome visitors would see.
Frontispiece of the book showing Constantine defeating Maximus to take control of the Roman Empire, after which he protected the Christian faith from persecution
Sadly, many of the sites the author discusses are no longer
available to the tourist, but that does not detract from the interest in this
heavily illustrated book. The author
writes at length about how the ancient Romans viewed the new faith, the
Christian faith, the foreign superstition, the nova superstitio. We learn
about the early conversions and persecutions, about the rich converts and the
poor converts, who worshiped together in humble confraternity.
Showy, proud, licentious Roman pagans saw Christians as despicably lazy, refusing to join in the licentiousness, public honors, showiness.
Christians did not approve of slavery, torture, capital
punishment, prostitution, the slaughter of humans and animals for sacrifice nor
for entertainment. They shunned the sin
of gluttony, too, which was shocking in a society where rich families could
have a room next to their dining room called a vomitorium where people could vomit up their food so they could
return to the dining table to eat more without suffering a distended
stomach. Yes, Roman society encouraged
bulimia.
Old St. Peter's Basilica, built by Constantine's order, and the courtyard in front of it, under which popes were buried, the site is where the apostle Peter was crucified, and is where is remains are buried
The author describes the wholesale conversion of Roman pagan
temples and shrines into Catholic churches, monasteries, convents and
shrines. These conversions began after
Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. He allowed the other faiths to practice in
the Empire, but he protected Christians and gave them places to worship and to
bury their dead.
There is mention made of efforts by some Emperors before
Constantine to incorporate Jesus into the Roman pantheon of gods, but the
conservative Roman Senate always denied those requests.
[Tiberius] is alleged to have sent a message to the Senate requesting that Christ should be included among the gods, on the strength of the official report written by Pontius Pilatus of the passion and death of our Lord.
While pogroms against the Christians flared up periodically,
for political reasons, the author stresses that the growth of Christianity was
gradual and inevitable, and it was not seen as being in conflict with military
service or public service roles, much like today, in most places. Pagan symbols and festivals were incorporated
into the new faith. Roman pantheistic traditions
often blended with Christian/Jewish traditions, much as the temples blended
into churches.
The New St. Peter's Basilica, built to replace the old basilica which was collapsing
At a certain point in Rome's turbulent history, after the
fall of the Western Roman Empire, the popes fought with the aristocratic
families and their thugs for control of the city. Christian pilgrims became the city's only
source of income, so churches and shrines were constructed over tombs of saints
and martyrs. Passion plays and other
religious spectacles were staged in Rome's streets.
A large section in the book is dedicated to the construction
of the first and second Basilicas of St. Peter.
First Constantine's tribute to where St. Peter was crucified is
described, and then the new basilica's construction is detailed. I found this to be the most fascinating
section of the book.
The second most interesting section is about the churches
built over the homes that were used by Saints Peter and Paul when preaching to
the early Christians in Rome.
The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Fuori le mura), built by order of Constantine over the remains of the apostle Paul, and rebuilt through the ages
The author's enthusiasm for his subject is contagious. A picture of Rome through the ages emerges
from his text. It is a living, breathing
Rome, full of complex people from all around the Mediterranean Sea. He treats us to appropriate quotes from
classical writers, popes, saints and historians.
The reader comes away with a better understanding of the
ancient Romans and the early Christians, but to fully appreciate the book the
reader should have a basic grounding in the history of ancient Rome and in the
Catholic faith. Only then can one really
understand the links the author makes between Jerusalem and Rome, not least the
recreation of the Via Dolorosa by Rome's town planners, to host the yearly
Passion play.
Pagan and Christian Rome is free to download in various
e-book formats, including Kindle mobi, from Project Gutenberg, the Internet's
grand-daddy of free e-book sites. You
can also read the book on-line with the HTML format.
Victorian pilgrims to the Catacombs of St. Calixtus, one of the 60 underground cemeteries of ancient Rome
If you wish, you can download the free Kindle (mobi) edition directly from Amazon.com.
Direct link to the Amazon e-book page for free download of Pagan and Christian Rome
A depiction of early Christians attending a mass in the Catacombs of St. Calixtus
This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.
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