engleski

The Early Christian Mosaics with Inscription in Croatia

Mosaics with inscriptions from the territory of Croatia appear at many prominent sites but also at lesser known ones, a fact confirmed by more recent finds (Orlić by Knin, Baška). These are mostly floor mosaics with the exception of that from Poreč, and are a part of the great artistic tradition of antiquity a mode of expression in numerous variations of medallions although we tend to look upon them merely as productions of applied art in interior architectural decoration. The architectural heritage of mosaical inscriptions on the territory of Croatia gives the possibility of studying the structure of the society, professions, paleography and a series of other questions. But sometimes the conclusions can be one-sided if the archaeological context of the area of origin is not taken into consideration. Roman floor mosaics with accompanying inscriptions are rare on our territory (Nin, Solin), while the number from the early Christian period is far greater. These appear at Poreč, Pula, Betika by Barbariga, Rijeka, Baška, Nin, Orlić by Knin, Solin and Grohote on the island of Šolta. Mosaic inscriptions discern many examples of donations of ecclesiastic and other persons who took part in the creation of the mosaic. Prominent donors are mentioned, as well as those barely announced or fully anonymous. Our inscriptions are by and large of sepulchral or votive character. The remaining mosaics with inscriptions bear names of persons. These are names of persons that appear on the early Christian mosaics, such as names of male and female saints, bishops and archdeacons. There are also inscriptions that speak of the building of the basilica, and a mosaic with an inscription whose text is taken from the Bible. The mosaic inscriptions mostly repeat, while the only novelty is found in Poreč, in the case of a wall mosaic. For the mosaic inscriptions we can ascertain in most cases that there was a specific formula in the composition of the inscription. Donors are mentioned, as well as their title and their contribution for the production of the mosaic. All the inscriptions were produced in the mosaic technique with a more or less similar or different content. The inscriptions written, or more precisely composed, in Latin as well as Greek scripts, were rendered like those in stone. The inscriptions in capital letters with a strong cursive character belong chronologically to the 1st cent., the end of the 3rd and to the 4th cent., while in the 2nd cent. and the first half of the 3rd cent. they are only exceptionally encountered. Errors in the inscriptions appear from the mid-3rd cent., which is particularly characteristic for Christian inscriptions. By careful ordering the usual formulae were put to the fore, that is, the intention was to express specific information about the person mentioned in the inscription in a single row. Abbreviations, punctuation and vulgar forms were probably the same in the model and in the inscription, while the changes that occurred can be followed, with certain characteristics for individual periods, from the 1st to the 6th cent.

early christian mosaics; mosaic inscription; Croatia; floor mosaics; sacral buildings

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