As the ancient world
transitioned into the Middle Ages, the Eastern Roman Empire (known as the
Byzantine Empire) slowly began to be pressed back into a heartland quarantined to
Greece and the Middle East. Yet, the Byzantine Empire still had enormous power,
and in the 7th century CE, the emperor still wielded significant authority over
the Christian popes in Rome.
At the start of the 7th
century, the pope was about to gain access to one of the oldest, best
preserved, temples in Rome—the Pantheon. The site of the Panthon had long been
home to Roman temples. The first Pantheon temple was built by Marcus Vipsanius
Agrippa (r. 27-25 BCE), and another was constructed in the reign of Domitian
(r. 81-96 CE). The Pantheon that stands, today, is believed to have begun
construction under the reign of Trajan (r. 98-117 CE), and was completed by
Emperor Hadrian around 125 CE.
The fate, and purpose, of the
Pantheon would change with the rise of an interesting emperor in 602—Phocas.
From his origin as a simple commoner, Phocas joined the military and led a
successful rebellion in Thrace against the reigning Emperor Maurice (r.
582-602). At the end of the rebellion, Phocas was crowned emperor and Maurice,
as well as his heirs, faced execution. Read our article about the unique reign
of Empeor Phocas, HERE, if you wish to know more about the rise and demise of
this peculiar emperor.
In 608 or 609, Emperor Phocas
gave Pope Boniface IV (r. 608-615) permission to convert the Roman Pantheon
into a Christian church. According to Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, Boniface IV had the pagan temple
ritualistically purified and, “once its company of devils had been cast out,”
it was renamed the church of Saint Mary of the Martyrs (or the St. Maria
Rotunda). As a result, the ancient temple of all the Roman gods was repurposed into
a Christian church that venerated martyrs and saints (Ecclesiastical History, Book 2, Chapter 4).
Written by C. Keith Hansley.
Top picture attribution: (facebook Pope Boniface and Emperor Phocas in front of
Roman Pantheon, all [Public Domain] via Creative Commons, Flickr and
maxpixel.com)
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People (and relevant letters), translated by Leo Sherley-Pride, R. E. Latham and D. H. Farmer. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Boniface-IV
- http://www.ancient.eu/Pantheon/
- http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02660c.htm
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