medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004, at 04:40:59 -0500, Margaret Cormack wrote:
"Dear list,
my perennial query when this topic comes up: Has anyone seen figures
who are NOT part of the trinity with cruciform halos?"
Dear Meg,
There's a full-length fresco portrait of St. Januarius in the catacombs
that bear his name at Naples that shows him standing between two lit
tapers in ornamental stands and bearing a circular halo in which a
reddish Chi Rho is centered so that the Rho connects J.'s head with the
outline of the halo at a point directly above it and the Chi is
represented by four narrowish lines radiating out from the head and
connecting with the outline of the halo at approximately the 2:00,
4:00, 7:00 and 11:00 positions (therefore forming a cross within the
circle). In the field between the "7:00" and "11:00" rays is a
majuscule reddish alpha; in the corresponding field on the other side
of J.'s head is a reddish minuscule omega. Above this composition and
a little to the right of each taper is a reddish Chi Rho in the form of
a Latin cross and above that is the inscription: SANCTO MARTYRIIANUARIO
[sic: the letters also become smaller towards the end].
This fresco, which was restored in the early 1970s, is usually dated to
the early to mid fifth century. Considered J.'s earliest surviving
portrait, it is located in the upper, monumental portion of these
catacombs and is routinely shown to visitors. I haven't found a Web-
accessible image, but there's a full-page color reproduction in Umberto
M. Fasola, _Le catacombe di San Gennaro a Capodimonte_ (Roma: Editalia,
1975), plate VII (facing p. 92).
Merry Christmas,
John Dillon
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