From the Concept of Praeparatio Euangelica to the Christianization of Art, Especially in the Choice of Iconographic Subjects of the Roman Mosaic

Abstract

As the Latin phrase in the above title says, the passage from paganism to Christianity does not arise ex machina, but it is also prepared through the continuous experience of religiosity in pagan contexts. There is a preparation that is said to be evangelical, because little by little and in many ways, the Christian Good News reaches the whole Roman Empire. This is visible in the evolution of classical art, especially in the mosaic, with the best examples, among other significant myths, of Orpheus’s story. Hence the importance of new approaches to classical myths, namely in their representation in opus musivum.

Keywords

• roman art
• mosaic
• “praeparatio euangelica”
• paleo-christian art