Gifts of the True Cross: Politics, Women, and Legend in Early Medieval Rome
Herber, Kelsey Jordan
Herber, Kelsey Jordan
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Abstract
Empress Helena’s legendary discovery of the True Cross in the first half of the fourth century was well known by the late fourth century. Fragments of the Cross were purportedly in the city of Rome by then, raising the cult of the True Cross on to a global stage, affecting not only religious piety as such but an international political and social context. This thesis examines two sixth century reliquaries of the True Cross that were both, at one time, located in Constantinople and Rome: the Cross of Justin II and the Cross of Adaloald. Both provide important mindsets into patterns of patronage and the interplay of religious and secular politics in gift exchange. Both reliquaries are believed to have been produced in Constantinople within a relatively short amount of time. This allows for a comparative analysis of their visual construction given their significance in a relatively contained context. Their roles as gifts between powerful rulers fostered political alliances and conveyed distinct messages, reflecting the complexities of power dynamics in the early medieval era. This exploration will delve into the materiality, function, and gender relations that influenced these reliquaries’ significance within the context of power.
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Master of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Fall 2024.
Date
2024
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Keywords
True Cross, Reliquaries, Cross of Justin II, Cross of Adaloald, Early medieval power dynamics
Citation
Herber, Kelsey Jordan. "Gifts of the True Cross: Politics, Women, and Legend in Early Medieval Rome". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2024.