The so-called sacello pagano, a small hypogeic sanctuary later incorporated into the catacomb of St. Lucia in Syracuse, preserves interesting evidence of late Hellenistic painting. Since the first publication, in 1963, a new photographic documentation of thepictorial cycle has not been yet proposed. Thanks to a combination of high definition and ultraviolet (UV) photographs, it is now possible to have a deeper knowledge of the paintings. Through the inscriptions we immediately recognize the images of Zeus Peloros and Porthmos (the personification of the Strait of Messina); it is also proposed to identify in the other figures, very fragmentary and without explanatory inscriptions, Zeus (?), Isis lactans and Apollo Archegetes. From the reexamination of the pictorial cycle it clearly emerges that the sanctuary, dedicated to divinities connected to the sea and to navigation, was mainly addressed to seafarers and visitors of the nearby port of the city.
Il cosiddetto sacello pagano, un piccolo santuario ipogeico più tardi inglobato dalla catacomba di Santa Lucia a Siracusa, conserva interessanti testimonianze di pittura tardo ellenistica. La sola documentazione fotografica completa del ciclo pittorico risale al 1963, anno della prima pubblicazione. Grazie ad una battuta di fotografie ad alta definizione e all'ultravioletto (UV) è oggi possibile accedere ad una più profonda conoscenza dei dipinti. Per mezzo delle iscrizioni superstiti si riconoscono immediatamente le immagini di Zeus Peloros e di Porthmos (la personificazione dello Stretto di Messina); si propone inoltre di identificare le altre figure, molto frammentarie e prive di iscrizioni, in Zeus (?), Isis lactans e Apollo Archegetes. Dal riesame del ciclo pittorico emerge chiaramente che il santuario, dedicato a divinità connesse con il mare e la navigazione, era rivolto principalmente a gente di mare e ai frequentatori del vicino porto della città.
Zeus Peloros e gli altri: un nuovo sguardo ai dipinti del "sacello pagano" nella catacomba di Santa Lucia a Siracusa
Fabio Caruso
2017
Abstract
The so-called sacello pagano, a small hypogeic sanctuary later incorporated into the catacomb of St. Lucia in Syracuse, preserves interesting evidence of late Hellenistic painting. Since the first publication, in 1963, a new photographic documentation of thepictorial cycle has not been yet proposed. Thanks to a combination of high definition and ultraviolet (UV) photographs, it is now possible to have a deeper knowledge of the paintings. Through the inscriptions we immediately recognize the images of Zeus Peloros and Porthmos (the personification of the Strait of Messina); it is also proposed to identify in the other figures, very fragmentary and without explanatory inscriptions, Zeus (?), Isis lactans and Apollo Archegetes. From the reexamination of the pictorial cycle it clearly emerges that the sanctuary, dedicated to divinities connected to the sea and to navigation, was mainly addressed to seafarers and visitors of the nearby port of the city.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
