Constantine (Deichmann 1967: nos. 61, 212; cf. Const. Imp. Or. ad sanct.1.1,
11.4 – 6).
It goes without saying that members of the emperor’s family frequented the
cemeteries as well, in particular at the celebrations of martyrs which developed into
opportunities for social contact amongst the Roman upper class (Mratschek 2001).
If the big mausoleum of the “Basilica of the Apostles” (St. Sebastian), which lies on
the southern side and forms an integral part of the church building, was indeed designed
for a member of the emperor’s family, then Constantine invited the nobility to
emulate him. Soon mausolea were indeed placed around all these martyrs’ churches
like satellites. Senators and noble families did not erect isolated mausolea on their
own land as they had done during the early empire. Instead they put their rep-
resentative burials on display in the communal Christian cemeteries at the graves of
the martyrs. The money of the upper class which was becoming Christian notice-
ably flowed to the necropoleis; the external perception of the Christian faith literally
moved outside the city.
The munificence of the senatorial class, which had always found its expression in
games and temple festivities, discovered the church’s rituals. The aristocracy played
an important role at the anniversaries of the temples; in most cases they were linked
to games in which it could prove its generosity (Salzmann 1990: 184 – 8). There is
no reason not to believe that the Christian aristocracy took on this role of provid-
ing assistance to the martyrs’ basilicas and founded additional churches. It supported
special supplies of food to the people (cf. Amm. 27.3.5 – 6; Paulinus of Nola, Epist.
13.11) and financed the establishment of new communal cemeteries on their exten-
sive suburban properties.
The Circus-Shaped Martyrs’ Basilicas
The desire to emulate, indeed to surpass, the games in celebrating the martyrs may
find its expression in one peculiar characteristic of Roman ecclesiastical architecture
of the Constantinian and post-Constantinian periods. The suburban martyrs’ basilicas,
and only these (apart from St. Peter and St. Paul), are based on a ground-plan
resembling a circus (fig. 28.2). In addition to those mentioned above, the Basilica
of Mark on the Via Ardeatina and that of Agnes on the Via Nomentana belong to
the late or post-Constantinian basilicas with ambulatory. The latter was dedicated
to the “Victrix Agnes,” according to the inscription that records its consecration (ICUR
NS8.20752). The anonymous ambulatory basilica on the Via Praenestina and the
“Basilica of the Apostles” (St. Sebastian) were erected at imperial villa complexes con-
taining a stadium (the church of St. Peter also lay at the site of an abandoned circus).
The seemingly circus-shaped ground-plan of the basilicas with ambulatory can hardly
be understood by referring to a cosmological symbolism of eternity. It is more likely
that the martyrs’ basilicas are to be placed in the context of the heroes’ cult of im-
perial times. This cult was connected in particular to places of athletic contest, in
so far as Hercules was regarded as the patron of athletes. The Christians accordingly
publicized their heroes, the martyrs, in circus-shaped churches (La Rocca 2002).The Romanness of Roman Christianity 419