Private piety or collective worship in early Christian martyria. Late antique Naissus case study

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Špehar, O. (2015). Private piety or collective worship in early Christian martyria. Late antique Naissus case study, (39), 1-10. doi:10.2298/ZOG1539001S
Details
Title

Private piety or collective worship in early Christian martyria. Late antique Naissus case study

Subtitle
Author

Olga, Špehar

Journal

Zograf

Volume
Issue

39

Start page

1

End page

10

ISSN

0350-1361

ISBN
DOI

10.2298/ZOG1539001S

URL

http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/Article.aspx?ID=0350-13611539001S

Date

2015-2020/03/12/12:27:14

Abstract

Explanation of the purpose of early Christian martyria as places of collective memory is a complex of many different circumstances and meanings and must be observed in accordance. First of all, martyria are architectural monuments dedicated to the martyrs, historical evidences of the martyrial death of those who suffered for Christ - this is a simple explanation of their real meaning. Yet, their social role is even more important than their historical role - martyria continuously transferred an idea of Salvation among the people, becoming thus the places of collective memory. But what happen when the martyr’s relics are “usurped” by one wealthy family? This paper aim to shed some light on what could have been the real purpose of one such example, the martyrium attached to the basilica on the necropolis in Jagodin Mala in Naissus (modern Niš).

Keywords

Late Antiquity, Jagodin Mala, funerary complex, martyrium, Naissus, sacred focus