1 Earliest Rome

4.15 The architecture of Christianity
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said to the diggers Marcuclius,
Silvanus and Carosus: 5
'Bring out what you have.'
Silvanus and Carosus said: 'We have put out everything that was here.'
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said to Marcuclius, Silvanus and
Carosus: 'Your answer is entered in the record.'
After some empty cupboards were found in the library, Silvanus then brought out a
silver vase and a silver lamp, which he said he had found behind a chest.
Victor son of Auhdius said to Silvanus: 'You would have been dead, if you had not
found them.'
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said to Silvanus: 'Look more carefully,
to make sure nothing is left here.'
Silvanus said: 'Nothing is left; we have put everything out.'
And when the dining-room was opened, they found there four storage jars and six
chests.
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said: 'Bring out the texts that you
have so that we can obey the instructions and order of the emperors.'
Catulinus brought out one very large volume.
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said to Marcuclius and Silvanus:
'Why have you given only one volume? Bring out the texts you have.'
Catulinus and Marcuclius said: 'We have no more, because we are under-deacons. But
the readers have the volumes.'
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said to Marcuclius and Catulinus:
'Point out the readers.'
Marcuclius and Catulinus said: 'We do not know where they live.'
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said to Catulinus and Marcuclius: 'If
you don't know where they live tell me their names.'
Catulinus and Marcuclius said: 'We are not informers. Here we are. Order us to be
killed.'
Felix, high priest for life and mayor of the town, said: 'Arrest them.'
1. Senior official (flarnen perpetuus) of the imperial cult in the province.
2. junior clergy, whose main job was to read from the Bible.
3. They buried the Christian dead.
4. The disparity between men's and women's clothing may perhaps suggest that women
were in the majority in this Christian community (see Lane Fox (1986) .310). The cloth­
ing is not necessarily that of the worshippers; it may have been kept in the church for dis­
tribution to the poor (Barnes (1981) 23).
5. Presumably an error. They are elsewhere referred to as under-deacons.
4.15c The basilica of St Peter in Rome: plan and reconstruction ofthe early
church
Early in the fourth century (probably in the mid 320s A.D.) Constantine began
work on a large basilica on the site of St Peter's tomb, where the faithful might
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