Chrismons and Crosses on the Late Antique Mosaic Pavements from Bulgaria

Abstract

The article examines the cases of placing of the Early Christian Christograms/Staurograms and crosses in diverse iconographies and different number on the Late Antique mosaic pavements from the ancient provinces of the present-day Bulgarian lands/ mostly in the Central and Eastern Balkans. The history and the criteria of the cross in Late Antiquity are traced in the Early Christian liturgy, decoration and art, the official and tacit regulations, laws and bans in that aspect, the exceptions and the reasons causing them.

Keywords

• The Early Christian Christogram (Chi-Rho sign)
• the Early Christian cross
• iconographies
• laws and regulations

Bulgaristan’dan Geç Antik Mozaik Döşemelerinde Krismonlar ve Haçlar

Abstract

Makale, çoğunlukla Orta ve Doğu Balkanlar bölgesinde yer alan günümüz Bulgar topraklarının antik vilayetlerden Geç Antik dönem mozaik döşemeleri üzerine farklı ikonografilerde ve farklı sayılarda Erken Hristiyanlık Kristogramları/Staurogramları ve haçların yerleştirilmesini incelemektedir. Geç Antik Çağ’da haçın tarihçesi ve kriterleri, Erken Hristiyanlık ayininde, dekorasyon ve sanatta, resmi ve zımni düzenlemelerde, bu yöndeki kanun ve yasaklarda, istisnalar ve bunlara neden olan sebeplerde izlenebilmektedir.

Keywords

• Erken Hristiyan Kristogramı (Chi-Rho işareti)
• Erken Hristiyan haçı
• ikonografiler
• kanunlar ve düzenlemeler

References

1. Ando 2014 Cl. Ando, “The Edict of Serdica in religious-historical Perspective”, V. Vachkova - D. Dimitrov (eds.), Serdica Edict (311 AD), Sofia, Tangra, 51-62.
2. Cotsonis 1994 J. Cotsonis, Byzantine Figural Processional Crosses, Washington.
3. Dowley 1977 T. Dowley (ed.), Eerdmans‘ Handbook to the History of Christianity, Lyons.
4. Frolow 1961 A. Frolow, “Le culte de la relique de la Vraie Croix à la fin du IV-em et au début du VII-em siècles”, Byzantinoslavica, v. XXII, 2.
5. Герасимова 2002 В. Герасимова, “Майсторът на раннохристиянската мозайка от Кайлъка при гр. Плевен”,, М. Грънчаров (ред. ), 730 години град Плевен. Плевен. (V. Gerasimova, ‘The Master of the Mosaic of the Early Christian Mosaic at the City of Pleven’, M. Gruncharov (ed.), 730 years the town of Pleven, Pleven, 90-93.
6. Habas 2015 L. Habas, “Crosses in the Mosaic Floors of Churches in Provincia Arabia and Nearby Territories, Against the Background of the Edict of Theodosius II”, JMR 8, 33-60.
7. Habas 2018 L. Habas, “Early Byzantine Mosaic Floors of the Church at Ozem, Israel”, JMR 11, 97-120.
8. Ivanov 2016 M. Ivanov, “The ‘Felix’ Mosaic from Serdica”, Studia Academica šumensia 4, 188-201.

9. Jensen 2017 R. M. Jensen, The Cross. History, Art and Contraversy, Cambridge.
10. Leathebury 2019 S. Leathebury, Framing Late Antique Texts as Monuments: The Tabula Ansata between Sculpture and Mosaic, A. Petrovic - I. Petrovic - E. Thomas (eds.), The Materiality of the Text: Placement, Presence, and Perception of Inscribed Texts in Classical Antiquity, Studies in Greek and Roman Epigraphy, Leiden, 380-404.
11. Lidov 2006 A. Lidov, Hierotopy. The Creation of Sacred Spaces in Byzantium and Medieval Russia, Moscow.
12. Марков 1995 К. Марков, Духовен живот в българските земи през късната античност (IV-VI век), София, (K. Markov, The spiritual Life in the Bulgarian Lands during Late Antiquity (IV-VI century), Sofia.
13. Marucchi 1908 O. Marucchi, Archaeology of the Cross and Crucifix, Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 4, New York.
14. Pillinger et al. 2016 R. Pillinger - A. Lirsch - V. Popova (Hg.), Corpus der Spätantiken und frühchristlichen Mosaiken Bulgariens, Wien.
15. Petrova 2020 S. Petrova, “On the Route of the ancient Cline-lid from the Village of Banya in Thracia”, Niš and Byzantium, v. XIX, 51-62.
16. Popova 2016a V. Popova, “Monuments from the Tetrarchy and the Reign of the Constantinian Dynasty in Bulgaria”, Niš and Byzantium, v. XIV, 155-186.
17. Popova 2016b V. Popova, “On the Date and the Interpretation of the Complex at the Southwestern Gate of Augusta Traiana-Beroe”, Studia Academica šumensia 4, 57-96.
18. Popova 2018 V. Popova, “Liturgy and Mosaics: The Case Study of the Late Antique Monuments from Bulgaria”, Niš and Byzantium 16, 135-160.
19. Popova 2022 V. Popova. “The Early Non-Figural Mosaic Pavements in the Metropolitan Basilica of Philippopolis in Thracia”, Niš and Byzantium XX, 175-210.
20. Stanev 2014 A. Stanev, “Observations on the Province of Moesia Secunda in Late Antiquity”, Studia Academica šumenensia 1, 65-86.
21. Sulzberger 1926 M. Sulzberger, “Le symbole de la Croix et les Monogrammes de Jésus chez les premiers Chrétiens”, Byzantion II, 337-453.