DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0438
CHAPTER TWO. THE ICONOGRAPHIC PROGRAMME | 435
186 On the iconographic type of the
«Forty Martyrs», see Demus 0. Two
Paleologean Mosaic Icons in the
Dumbarton Oakes Collection // DOP,
14 (1960), pp. 96-109; Velmans T. Une
leone au Musee de Mestia et le theme
des Ouarante martyrs en Georgie //
Zograf, 14 (1983), pp. 40-51.
an old man and a youth, below. Only near the youth have the remains
of an inscription been preserved: a few Georgian letters permit us to
read the name Celsus. He was martyred under Nero with Nazarius and
the twin-brothers Gervase and Protase (feast day, 14 October). Evi-
dently these are the three martyrs who were depicted above St Celsus.
In the waist-length depiction of an elderly man we recognize St Nazari-
us who baptized and brought up Celsus. An episode from their hagiog-
raphy suggests why Nazarius and Celsus are located in a series with the
Sebaste martyrs: the saints, we are told, were thrown into the sea but
thanks to divine intervention they acquired the ability to walk on wa-
ter. Thus the idea of salvation in water links the two groups of martyrs.
Of great interest is the scene located in the lunette of the west wall
over the composition of the «Forty martyrs». Unfortunately, the de-
piction is almost entirely eroded. However, the silhouettes enable us
to understand the structure of this scene and describe certain figures.
In the centre there is a quadrilateral mount which most of all recalls
an altar. On either side of this object are bishop with traces of an omo-
phorion on his breast and a female figure in lavish garments. A further
two individuals can be discerned behind the bishop. This is quite an
unusual scene in character and in structure recalls depictions of the
service performed during the invention of relics which we know from
certain hagiographic cycles. We believe this scene at Akhtala to de-
pict the «Liturgy at the Invention of the Relics of the Forty Martyrs».
Tales of the miraculous acquisitions of the relics of the Sebaste saints
were extremely popular in the Christian world since the precious re-
mains were preserved in many countries. One of the most famous of
these stories was a 5th century tale of how the relics were retrieved in
Constaninople after the Empress Pulcheria had a vision. Possibly the
female figure in the Akhtala composition depicts this same empress,
taking part in the liturgy.
The painting emphasizes the liturgical con-
tent of the «Forty martyrs» theme. The forty
righteous men who suffered like Christ were
already being interpreted as vivid symbol of
sacrifice in pre-Iconoclast iconographic pro-
grammes. In Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome
a 7th-century mural of the «Forty Martyrs» was
located in the sanctuary of one of the chapels.
186 On the iconographic type of the
«Forty Martyrs», see Demus 0. Two
Paleologean Mosaic Icons in the
Dumbarton Oakes Collection // DOP,
14 (1960), pp. 96-109; Velmans T. Une
leone au Musee de Mestia et le theme
des Ouarante martyrs en Georgie //
Zograf, 14 (1983), pp. 40-51.
an old man and a youth, below. Only near the youth have the remains
of an inscription been preserved: a few Georgian letters permit us to
read the name Celsus. He was martyred under Nero with Nazarius and
the twin-brothers Gervase and Protase (feast day, 14 October). Evi-
dently these are the three martyrs who were depicted above St Celsus.
In the waist-length depiction of an elderly man we recognize St Nazari-
us who baptized and brought up Celsus. An episode from their hagiog-
raphy suggests why Nazarius and Celsus are located in a series with the
Sebaste martyrs: the saints, we are told, were thrown into the sea but
thanks to divine intervention they acquired the ability to walk on wa-
ter. Thus the idea of salvation in water links the two groups of martyrs.
Of great interest is the scene located in the lunette of the west wall
over the composition of the «Forty martyrs». Unfortunately, the de-
piction is almost entirely eroded. However, the silhouettes enable us
to understand the structure of this scene and describe certain figures.
In the centre there is a quadrilateral mount which most of all recalls
an altar. On either side of this object are bishop with traces of an omo-
phorion on his breast and a female figure in lavish garments. A further
two individuals can be discerned behind the bishop. This is quite an
unusual scene in character and in structure recalls depictions of the
service performed during the invention of relics which we know from
certain hagiographic cycles. We believe this scene at Akhtala to de-
pict the «Liturgy at the Invention of the Relics of the Forty Martyrs».
Tales of the miraculous acquisitions of the relics of the Sebaste saints
were extremely popular in the Christian world since the precious re-
mains were preserved in many countries. One of the most famous of
these stories was a 5th century tale of how the relics were retrieved in
Constaninople after the Empress Pulcheria had a vision. Possibly the
female figure in the Akhtala composition depicts this same empress,
taking part in the liturgy.
The painting emphasizes the liturgical con-
tent of the «Forty martyrs» theme. The forty
righteous men who suffered like Christ were
already being interpreted as vivid symbol of
sacrifice in pre-Iconoclast iconographic pro-
grammes. In Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome
a 7th-century mural of the «Forty Martyrs» was
located in the sanctuary of one of the chapels.