cross is the hand of God. On either side of the medallion, in the
clouds, are the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elijah, who ap-
peared before Jesus during his Transfiguration. Below these two fig-
ures are three sheep, symbols of the disciples John, Peter, and Paul,
who accompanied Jesus to the foot of the mountain he ascended in
order to converse with the prophets. Beneath, amid green fields with
trees, flowers, and birds, stands the church’s patron saint, Apolli-
naris. The mosaicist portrayed him in the Early Christian manner as
an orant with uplifted arms. Accompanying Apollinaris are 12 sheep,
perhaps representing the Christian congregation under the saint’s
protection, and forming, as they march in regular file across the
apse, a wonderfully decorative base.
Comparison of the Early Byzantine Sant’Apollinare in Classe
mosaic with the Galla Placidia mosaic (FIG. 11-16) from the Early
Christian period at Ravenna shows how the style and artists’ ap-
proach to the subject changed during the course of a century. Both
mosaics portray a human figure and some sheep in a landscape. But
in Classe, in the mid-sixth century, the artist did not try to re-create a
segment of the physical world, instead telling the story in terms of flat
symbols, lined up side by side. The mosaicist carefully avoided over-
lapping in what must have been an intentional effort to omit all refer-
ence to the three-dimensional space of the material world and physi-
cal reality. Shapes have lost the volume seen in the earlier mosaic and
instead are flat silhouettes with linear details. The effect is that of an
extremely rich, flat tapestry without illusionistic devices. This new
Byzantine style became the ideal vehicle for conveying the extremely
complex symbolism of the fully developed Christian dogma.
The Sant’Apollinare in Classe apse mosaic, for example, carries
much more meaning than first meets the eye. The cross symbolizes
not only Christ’s own death, with its redeeming consequences, but
also the death of his martyrs (in this case, Saint
Apollinaris). The lamb, also a symbol of martyr-
dom, appropriately represents the martyred apos-
tles. The whole scene expands above the altar,
where the priests celebrated the sacrament of the
Eucharist—the miraculous recurrence of the su-
preme redemptive act. The very altars of Christian
churches were, from early times, sanctified by the
bones and relics of martyrs (see “Pilgrimages and
the Cult of Relics,” Chapter 17, page 432). Thus,
the mystery and the martyrdom were joined in one concept. The
death of the martyr, in imitation of Christ, is a triumph over death
that leads to eternal life. The images above the altar present an in-
spiring vision to the eyes of believers, delivered with overwhelming
force. Looming above their eyes is the apparition of a great mystery,
ordered to make perfectly simple and clear that humankind’s duty is
to seek salvation. Even the illiterate, who might not grasp the details
of the complex theological program, could understand that the way
of the martyr is open to the Christian faithful and that the reward of
eternal life is within their reach.MOUNT SINAIDuring Justinian’s reign, building continued al-
most incessantly, not only in Constantinople and Ravenna but all
over the Byzantine Empire. At about the time mosaicists in Ravenna
were completing their work at San Vitale and Sant’Apollinare in
Classe, Justinian’s builders were reconstructing an important early
monastery(an enclosed compound for monks) at Mount Sinai in
Egypt where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.
Now called Saint Catherine’s, the monastery marked the spot at the
foot of the mountain where the Bible says God first spoke to the He-
brew prophet from a burning bush.
Monasticismbegan in Egypt in the third century and spread
rapidly to Palestine and Syria in the East and as far as Ireland in the
West. It began as a migration to the wilderness by those who sought
a more spiritual way of life, far from the burdens, distractions, and
temptations of town and city. In desert locations, these refuge seek-
ers lived austerely as hermits, in contemplative isolation, cultivating
the soul’s perfection. So many thousands fled the cities that the au-
thorities became alarmed—noting the effect on the tax base, mili-
tary recruitment, and business in general.Early Byzantine Art 32112-12Saint Apollinaris amid sheep, apse
mosaic, Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, Italy,
ca. 533–549.
Saint Apollinaris stands beneath Christ’s Cross
with his arms raised in prayer. Although the scene
is set in a landscape, the Byzantine artist rejected
the classical illusionism of early mosaics (compare
FIG. 11-16).