Zalai Múzeum 11. Kereszténység Pannóniában az első évezredben (Zalaegerszeg, 2002)
Nagy, Mihály: Typological Considerations on Christian Funerary Buildings in Pannonia
24 Nagy, Mihály The overlap of the pentagons needs an explanation. Probably the architect had to reduce the inner length of the building in order to obtain similar length for those walls of the southern and northern apses which touch the sides of the pentagons (in other words there are two primary and two secondary, altogether four pentagons on the ground plan. The two secondary pentagons with centres К and L are not indicated on our drawing. The base of these pentagons are identical with sections GG' and JJ'). In the same time it is remarkable, that the total inner length after the reduction became exactly 100x11 digiti. In connection with this phenomenon, we may suppose a tripartite process of planning: the architect first determined the inner length of the building, and then calculated the diameter of the circles which contained the pentagons, and in the same time calculated the necessary overlap of the circles (which as a consequence also determined the width of the building). The diameter of the eastern apse is a derivative of the large circles: measuring exactly half of them. The most spectacular geometric feature in the ground plan of the cella septichora of Pécs, the pentagon, is a well known Platonic symbol, which was regarded in Antiquity as a symbol of universe. 32 According to ancient tradition it was invented by the Pytha-goreans, and even their emblem was the pentagram. The use of the so-called Platonic geometrical figures in architecture is quite evident: let us think of the triangle and the square. The pentagon is not so frequent, although there are several examples for its application from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The octagon was also popular, mainly as a ground plan for imperial mausolea. 33 Their use in architecture is explained by Cyril A. Mango, and following him by Nigel Hiscock as follows: "... a Platonic connection seems to be implied in a letter Constantine wrote in 334 in which he states that: There is a need of as many architects as possible... who are about eighteen years old and have had a taste of the liberal arts. (Codex Theodosianus XIII. 4, 1.) It would be interesting to know what Constantine meant by a "taste of liberal arts " and whether this would have embraced the quadrivium with its teaching on number and geometry. If so, it might imply a possible route by which Platonic thinking could have been transmitted to early Christian architecture. " 34 In fact, some of the most important Christian thinkers of the second half of the fourth century, like Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, or his younger brother Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, themselves were students of Neoplatonist philosophy. 35 No wonder, that the use of Platonic figures appear among the steps of the reconstructed setting-out of the ground plan of Old St Peter's Basilica in Rome, built by Constantine the Great. 36 It is a well known fact, that various symbols of Christianism appear in buildings of religious purpose. Sometimes they are closely connected to the architectural form, like e.g. cross-shaped basin sunken into the floor of a baptisterium, or the cross-shaped ground plan of church buildings. Sometimes they appear as decorations on floor mosaics, or wall paintings. 37 The monogram of Christ and related patterns are used in a similar way: they may be placed in the centre of a ceiling, or as the so-called "Architektur-Monogramm" they are applied on column capitals, mosaics, or chancel arches. The size of some of these monograms is monumental. 38 According to Gardthausen, the reason behind the use of these symbols in Antiquitiy was the belief, that "Who uses or displays these divine symbols, recommended himself to the deity's protection... and the sign of good deities were regarded as helpful resources in the fight against evil ghosts."^ 9 There are evidences, that even a whole building may have been regarded as a metaphor, and the dimensions were designed rationally to express holiness of the building. 40 Buildings with seven sides and an entrance in the eighth represent "entry from the sphere of Earth" (number seven symbolises Holy Spirit, eight signifies resurrection). 41 Gregory of Nyssa, in a letter dated to the 380s, describes such an eight sided martyrion with seven niches, emphasising, that the form of the ground plan is a cross. 42 We may suppose, that the cella septichora itself was such a metaphor: on the reconstructed ground plan in case of the most important lines (i.e. the axes) and centre points we may discover a popular symbol: a staurogram, or a combination of a staurogram type Gardthausen 185 and a Christogram type Gardthasuen 186. (Fig. 3.) 43 Both were widely used over the whole Roman Empire during the second half of the fourth century A.D. We may also suppose that the appearance of the monogram is not a mere coincidence, since the length of letter rho between points Q and R is exactly 100x11=1100 digits, while the length of the line crossing it (line MN), is 55x11 digits. If we accept that the symbol contains chi, the beginning letter of Christ's name as well, then it is formed by the 75x11 digits long lines between points OP' and O'P. (It is noteworthy, that the stems of chi are 20x11 digits longer than the horizontal arm of the cross). The stems of the letter chi does not intersect each other under 90°, similarly to the monogram types Gardthausen 186 and 194. The proportions of the parts of letters are also similar. The construction of the building with five apses from Budapest, Kiscelli Street is dated by Györgyi Parragi to the end of the 3rd century. It was repainted during the 4th, and was still in use at the beginning of the 5th century. 44 In the apses graves were excavated, and the building formed perhaps the centre of a Late Roman cemetery. It has the following main dimensions 45 :
