On Roman Time: The Codex-Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity
I
Introduction: Antecedents and Interpretations of the Codex-Calendar of 354
A wealthy Christian aristocrat by the name of Valentinus received an illustrated codex containing a calendar for the year A.D. 354. Valentinus must have been pleased by the gift. The calligraphy was of exceptional quality, being the work of the most famous calligrapher of the century, Furius Dionysius Filocalus; Filocalus, himself a Christian, had inscribed his own name alongside the wishes for Valentinus's well-being which adorned the opening page of the codex (Fig. 1).1 The attractive illustrations that accompanied the text were also somewhat unusual; these, the earliest full-page illustrations in a codex in the history of Western art, may have also been the handiwork of Filocalus.
Aside from its handsome physical apearance, the codex was of great utility for an aristocrat living in Rome. The illustrated Calendar of 354 marked the important events celebrated in the city in that year, including pagan holidays, imperial anniversaries, historical commemorat ... read full excerpt from On Roman Time: The Codex-Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity ebook
