Domical basilica was, however, not the only model for the Christian church: already the two small Syrian chapels before mentioned (p. 97), built before Constantine's time, had adopted the ancient Oriental dome, and it was evidently in obedience to some local tradition that Constantine built at Antioch the octagonal church which was long ago destroyed. Another domical church of this date is St. George at Salonica (Thessalonical, and the church erected at Neocresarea by the father of St. Gregory Nazianzen was an octangular domical structure.
Church of Sta. also built Christian churches at his new residence, Constantinople—among them, that of Sta. Sophia, about which all we know is that it was oblong, that it was considerably enlarged about the middle of the fourth century, that at the beginning of the .century its roof was burned, that it was then covered with a -vaulted roof, and that in the sixth century it gave place to the present Church of Sta. Sophia (y5/. 15, jigs. 6-8). As his burial-place the emperor built the cross-shaped Church of the Holy Apostles, the rich gilded ceil ing of which was famous. This was also renovated in the sixth century.
Churches of North remains of churches still exist in North Africa, as the Basilica of St. Reparatus, at Orleansville, built 326 A. D. Though only 15 metres (49 feet) in total width, it had a nave and four aisles, with galleries above the aisles; the aisles are separated by piers instead of columns. Similar is a small basilica at Tefaced.
Architecture of Central series of interesting monuments in Central Syria give us an idea both of the architectural activity and of the ordinary life of that period wherever Christianity had become the state religion. In this region classical elements were combined with Asiatic traditions; whence we may conclude that a very ancient traditional man ner of building existed here and formed the model of the works which still exist in tolerably good preservation. These buildings serve to explain many older ones, and may help to show us how in the Alexandrian build ings the vault was combined with the Greek secular structure.
Vaulted have, especially so far as private dwellings are concerned, a local school before us, but, since this arose from the needs of the climate and the habits of life of a people, it probably retained its character through all ages; and thus these structures give us a right to judge of what seem similar forms in earlier periods, and particularly to glance back upon the vaulted construction, the domes and terraces, of the ancient Asiatic peoples. But the local tradition had not sufficient vitality to preserve itself from the influences of cosmopolitan culture, and, again, it offered, in connection with an extended circle of local schools, more or less closely related elements which were acceptable to the universal classical culture, and after having been appropriated by the latter in Asia were dispersed everywhere.
If we assume that the Greeks were acquainted with the art of vaulted construction as far back as the time of the development of the Greek habit of thOught from the Pelasgian and that they used it for secular purposes, and if we admit that in the time of Alexander it was very extensively employed, we are quite justified in calling this a transfer of local Asiatic elements to the classical cosmopolitan culture. These ele ments had gained so much ground that even hi the times of which we here treat we are forced to recognize in them something more than mere local tradition, and must regard the cupolas and other vaults with much the same sentiments as if we met with them in any other district of the wide Roman Empire.
Syrian first works of this age which in this region present themselves for consideration are a series of tombs, part of which, dating from the second century, the third, and the beginning .of the fourth, are those of pagans; the latest of these dates from 324 A. D. From this time forward Christianity supplanted heathenism in the district, and Christian emblems show upon the facades of the tombs.
Syrian Ci we go from these mortuary abodes into the cities of the living—which in those parts of the world are as well preserved as though the inhabitants had just left them, even though these cities too have passed away—we meet with streets laid out as they are to-day, and perhaps as they have been for many thousand years in the East, narrow and crooked, and shut in by the houses whose bald outer walls are pierced only by the entrance-door. This door gives access to an oblong quadrangular court which on one or two sides is enclosed by superposed arcades, with which the other rooms communicate, just as the houses are now built in Syria, where, porticoes are placed in front to keep the hot rays of the sun from the living-rooms at the rear. Balustrades with stone slabs bound the upper arcade between the columns. We find no changes in the plan to aid us in fixing the date. The several centuries during which this mode of building was practised can be deter mined only through the details; yet inscriptions and Christian emblems inform us that these buildings may be referred to the time of Constantine and his successors. In 331 there lived in Yefadi a Christian named Thalasis who when he had built for himself a house wrote his creed over the door.