British School at Rome: Papers of the British School at Rome (9.1920)

Papal Por-
traits from
410-522

178 The British School at Rome.
What we have already said about the forty portraits in the cloister
of the monastery of St. Paul, covers the story of the Popes as far as
their portraiture is concerned during its first two periods. Turning to
its third (410-522), during which ancient Rome suffered and died, we
find that, despite the terrible times, St. Paul’s and its decoration con-
tinually engaged the attention of the Popes. Evidence has already been
given to show that, despite all the terror caused by the ravages of Attila’s
dreaded Huns, the basilica was decorated by Pope Leo, the Great.
Symmachus (f 514) followed his example; and, according to his
biographer, not only renewed its apse, but adorned a portion of the
basilica with paintings.1 No doubt part of his work consisted in
continuing its series of papal portraits. He is in fact credited with having
added the ten portraits from that of Pope Zosimus, the successor of
Innocent I., to that of his own predecessor, Anastasius II. Of these
paintings we have only the copies made by order of Cardinal Barberini :
and the inferiority, compared to the originals, of the copies made of the
Popes from Urban I. to Innocent I., permits us to infer that these are
also inferior. But if they do not serve to give us a trustworthy idea of
the features of the Popes in this age, they certainly are of use to tell us
something of their vestments. They inform us that the ecclesiastical
pallium came into use at the beginning of this period. For we see that,
commencing with Symmachus himself, the Pontiffs of this period are
depicted as wearing, in place of the philosopher’s pallium, a tunic and
other pontifical vestments, with the ecclesiastical pallium above them.
These conclusions can also be drawn from a copy of the portrait of
Pope Simplicius (468-483) preserved by Ciacconius.2 From the Liber
Pontificalis (i. 249), we know that that Pontiff built ‘ the basilica of the
blessed martyr Bibiana,’ and that one of the lost mosaics of Rome is
the one with which he adorned the apse of his new church. When in e
course of time the mosaic became damaged, we are told by Ciacconius
that the portrait (imago) of the Pope, who as usual was represented on
his mosaic, was restored in colour. Of this Ciacconius gives a coloured
drawing, showing the full figure of the Pope wearing a plain tiara, a
pallium marked with crosses, and a chasuble which looks quite Gothic.
1 Lib. Pont. i. 262, * Et post confessionem picturam ornavit.’
2 Cod. Vat. 5407, f. 73 or 108.