Moving out from the center of the colosseum, the arches were part of the upward sloping structure for the seating but also led out of the colosseum. Supporting arch, Salona colosseum.

As we move toward an understanding of the transition from martyrdom to the veneration of martyrs we can do so through an understanding of the iconography of the martyr-hero in terms of feast, image, heroa, and dome. Here ...

Portrait of Eusebius with inscription "Anima Dulcis". Museo Vaticano.

The wealthy also erected immense mausolea in the form of heroa to glorify their memory such as this one on the ancient Appian Way. Mausoleo/heroum on the ancient Appian Way, South of Rome.

As those who were not of royalty could not hold a martyrium singularly devoted to them (like St. Helena), the less well connected often found their martyria within the church. Interior of St. Justus, 6th century church.

The custom of the feast honoring the dead was occasionally carried to the extreme of running a pipe from the surface down to the buried sarcophagus in order that wine could be poured into the sarcophagus to include the ...

Close-up Apse mosaic of Christ enthroned with apostles and martyrs ca 400.

Long Exterior shot of Hagia Sophia. Two factors influence the dominant use of the dome in Eastern church architecture. One is the example which has been previously illustrated of the use of the dome with all of its ...

Some portraiture was far less expensive and more simple, such as this one embedded in the mortar of a loculus. Ivory medallion in loculus mortar in the Catacomb of Commodilla.

These Christians, presumably martyrs, are identified as such by the ☧ (Chi Rho) at the apex of the medallion. This is another example of Christians using the iconography of the day for the veneration of the martyr-heroes. ...