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the city of Classe on the west end, a procession of female saints moving toward
the east, the Three Magi, and at the east end Mary dressed in purple tunic and
maphorion, or mantle, enthroned with the Christ Child, with angels acting as
bodyguards. On the south wall facing the depiction of Classe is a building iden-
tified by an inscription as the “Palatium” A procession of male saints heading
east fills most of the zone; they approach an enthroned Christ also dressed in
purple with gold clavi and who also has a group of four angels acting as body-
guards. The processions of saints were done after 540, replacing the original
mosaics; a few changes were made in the Classe and Palatium scenes involving
the removal of figures.
The panels of the top zone on the north side contain scenes of the ministry
of Christ set against gold backgrounds and depicting, starting from the west, the
Healing of the Paralytic of Bethesda
Casting out of Demons into Swine
Healing of Paralytic of Capernaum
Parable of Sheep and Goats
Parable of the Widow’s Mite
Parable of Pharisee and Publican
Raising of Lazarus
Samaritan Woman at Well
Woman with Haemorrhage
Healing of two Blind Men
Calling of Peter and Andrew
Multiplication of Fish and Bread
Wedding at Cana
The scenes are not arranged in chronological order and the reason behind
this particular order is unclear, but it may be observed that the last scene, the
Wedding at Cana in which Christ is shown changing water into wine, is closest
to the apse and the sanctuary and can be read as an allusion to the wine of the
Eucharist. In all scenes Christ is shown beardless and dressed in a purple tunic
with gold clavi.
The corresponding panels of the south wall depict the scenes of the Passion
and are arranged in chronological order. Nearest the apse is another scene con-
nected to the Eucharist, the Last Supper, in which Christ introduced the concept
of the Eucharistic ritual. Moving from east to west the scenes are the:
Last Supper
Garden of Gethsemane