New Delhi: Archaeologist Recently, I made an important discovery in ItalyA hidden temple dating back to the times is revealed. Emperor Constantine.
About 1,600 years ago, the citizens of the Roman Empire in Italy received a letter from Emperor Constantine allowing them to celebrate religious holidays in their homeland instead of traveling to festivals far away.
Constantine’s reply, known as a bull, was unearthed by experts in the 18th century, and archaeologists have recently used this historical document to make “monumental discoveries.”
Douglas Boyne, a professor of history at Saint Louis University, said the research team “excavated three walls of the monumental structure, and the evidence suggests that it belonged to an ancient site.” roman temple It dates back to the time of Constantine. ”
Professor Boyne said this in a university news release on January 5, Yahoo News reported.
The university said the ruins were discovered in the “famous medieval hilltop city” of Spello. It is believed to date back to the reign of Emperor Constantine from 324 AD to his 337 AD. Emperor Constantine’s letter allowed local residents to celebrate in their homes if they built temples to honor his ancestors.
According to the university, Boyne began his expedition in Spello after studying Constantine’s bull. In his letter, Constantine gave the townspeople permission to celebrate in their homes, provided they built and worshiped temples in honor of his ancestors.
Although it is well known that Constantine was the first Roman emperor to practice Christianity, Constantine’s request to the people of Spello was to “worship the emperor and his family as gods”. It reflected a continuation of an old belief known as the “Imperial Cult,” which involved “worshiping the Empire as a god.”Death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC
Experts said this reflected that the transition from paganism to Christianity was not a quick one.
According to Harvard Divinity School, the “Imperial Cult” is also known as the “Cult of the Emperor.”
“This temple will be a wonderful addition to the landscape of this corner of Italy. It will be of great help in understanding ancient cities, ancient townscapes and urban societies of the late Roman Empire,” Boyne said in the release. I mentioned it inside.
“This shows a continuity between the classical pagan world and the early Christian Roman world that is often blurred out or written out of overarching historical narratives,” he added. Ta.
Boyne and his team used “subsurface imaging” to look for evidence of temple ruins shared by the university. After weeks of effort, they discovered something “promising” hidden under a parking lot.
According to Yahoo News, the university said archaeologists discovered “two connecting walls.” Further excavation revealed what experts believe to be the inner walls of the temple.
Boyne said: “There is evidence from elsewhere in the Roman world that Christian rulers supported imperial cult practices. This is unlike any other temple in the Mediterranean world of the 4th century Roman Empire that I am aware of. It changes everything about how we perceive the pace of social change and our impressions of the impact of social and cultural change.”
The team plans to return to the site next summer to carry out thorough excavations to explore the complete site, the university said.
This site, Spello, is about 160 miles north of Rome.
(Based on opinions from the agency)
About 1,600 years ago, the citizens of the Roman Empire in Italy received a letter from Emperor Constantine allowing them to celebrate religious holidays in their homeland instead of traveling to festivals far away.
Constantine’s reply, known as a bull, was unearthed by experts in the 18th century, and archaeologists have recently used this historical document to make “monumental discoveries.”
Douglas Boyne, a professor of history at Saint Louis University, said the research team “excavated three walls of the monumental structure, and the evidence suggests that it belonged to an ancient site.” roman temple It dates back to the time of Constantine. ”
Professor Boyne said this in a university news release on January 5, Yahoo News reported.
The university said the ruins were discovered in the “famous medieval hilltop city” of Spello. It is believed to date back to the reign of Emperor Constantine from 324 AD to his 337 AD. Emperor Constantine’s letter allowed local residents to celebrate in their homes if they built temples to honor his ancestors.
According to the university, Boyne began his expedition in Spello after studying Constantine’s bull. In his letter, Constantine gave the townspeople permission to celebrate in their homes, provided they built and worshiped temples in honor of his ancestors.
Although it is well known that Constantine was the first Roman emperor to practice Christianity, Constantine’s request to the people of Spello was to “worship the emperor and his family as gods”. It reflected a continuation of an old belief known as the “Imperial Cult,” which involved “worshiping the Empire as a god.”Death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC
Experts said this reflected that the transition from paganism to Christianity was not a quick one.
According to Harvard Divinity School, the “Imperial Cult” is also known as the “Cult of the Emperor.”
“This temple will be a wonderful addition to the landscape of this corner of Italy. It will be of great help in understanding ancient cities, ancient townscapes and urban societies of the late Roman Empire,” Boyne said in the release. I mentioned it inside.
“This shows a continuity between the classical pagan world and the early Christian Roman world that is often blurred out or written out of overarching historical narratives,” he added. Ta.
Boyne and his team used “subsurface imaging” to look for evidence of temple ruins shared by the university. After weeks of effort, they discovered something “promising” hidden under a parking lot.
According to Yahoo News, the university said archaeologists discovered “two connecting walls.” Further excavation revealed what experts believe to be the inner walls of the temple.
Boyne said: “There is evidence from elsewhere in the Roman world that Christian rulers supported imperial cult practices. This is unlike any other temple in the Mediterranean world of the 4th century Roman Empire that I am aware of. It changes everything about how we perceive the pace of social change and our impressions of the impact of social and cultural change.”
The team plans to return to the site next summer to carry out thorough excavations to explore the complete site, the university said.
This site, Spello, is about 160 miles north of Rome.
(Based on opinions from the agency)