Huszár Zoltán (szerk.): Kereszténység és államiság Baranyában (Pécs, 2000)

Tanulmányok - Katona Győr Zsuzsa: Az első keresztények a Dél-Dunántúlon az ókeresztény temetők tükrében - Sopianae

estimating how many more remain the earth's surface - as well as crypts and chapels unearthed in Pannonia, all point to the existence of a bishopric. Based upon surviving lists of Pannonian bishops we can surmise that the following may have been Diocesan seats: In the province of Savia, Siscia; and in Iovia Pannonia Secunda, Sirmium, Mursa and Cibalae. It is possible that Sopianae was also a bishopric, but that it impossible to state due to the lack of historical evidence. In the same way, there must have been a sizeable Christian community in Savaria, the seat of Pannonia Prima, yet the existence of a bishopric there can only be surmised. It is unfortunate that antique written documents treat Sopianae in the same way in other respects as well. Apart from the frequent and widespread quotations from the words of Ammianus Marcellinus, we only have itinerary-like data and epigraphic material.

It was the discovery of the first crypt in 1782, put down by Koller in his famous work Prolegomena, which brought notice to remains dating from Roman times in Sopianae. Ottó Szőnyi and Gyula Gosztonyi were the first to write comprehensive studies about Sopianae based upon their own research. Ferenc Fiilep spent thirty years excavating the town's archaeological remains, both in the town and primarily within the cemetery. The results of his work have appeared in numerous essays, books and articles.

That the cemetery of Sopianae is Early Christian is borne out by wall-paintings and symbols and has never been questioned. The wall-paintings on the Early Christian crypts at Sopianae bear the motifs of Late Roman wall-paintings found in a number of places apart from Sopianae, though within Pannonia the finds from Sopianae hold pride of place. Alongside those symbols generally accepted as being Early Christian - the Christogram, fish, peacock and dove, or figures and scenes from both the Old and New Testaments such as The Fall, Daniel in the Lion's Den, Noah, Jonah, the Good Sherpherd, the Three Kings, Mary and the Infant Jesus - can be found profane depictions, maybe the portraits of worldly individuals. Another recurring Early Christian symbol on the Sopianae wallpaintings is the Garden of Paradise. Whether the jug and drinking vessel found in some graves is of Christian significance and symbolizes the Eucharist is debated by more recent professional literature, as it is encountered but rarely. It is nevertheless a fact that it holds a central position on the main wall of Crypt II at Pécs and must in all events be taken as a Christian symbol, even if its content is debatable. This is also true of the interpretation of the enthroned figure ornamenting - although worn away - the west wall of

the Early Christian mausoleum. It is probably that of an earthly being, but the suggestion has also been made that it represents Christ. On the basis of a piece of plasterwork from the partly excavated cemetery in Apáca Street, A. Mócsy has also put forward the theory that a martyr was being honoured, their relics preserved or body buried here in Sopianae. In the last chapter of the study the author discusses the objects so far excavated, providing a thorough bibliography which serves the purposes of guiding the reader and providing a foundation for future research. Since the first ones were discovered, nearly 600 graves have been excavated around the cemetery buildings. The majority of these have already been published, and the most recent ones are being catalogue at the time of writing. For the location of groups of graves see Appendix One.

The study discusses the spread of the cemetery and the freshest researched data in some detail. Current questions discussing ethnic matters touch upon Jewish burial and the archaeological problem of the heritage of the ethnic group known to us as the Foederati. Finally, the subject moves to questions of Christian continuity, primarily the time of the construction of the cella trichora and secondarily the dating of the paintings, as well as the conscious geological siting of the crypts. Some of these may have still been standing - albeit as ruins - in the medieval period, thereby ensuring the site's sanctity and making it suitable for constructing Pécs's first church at the time of the founding of Statehood.