In Stone and Story
Early Christianity in the Roman World
Materials available for professors by request only
Chapter 6: Peace & Security
Photo Gallery
Photos 6.1 through 6.5
Chapter six of In Stone and Story highlights the importance of Eumachia for the town of Pompeii. Photo 6.1 shows the statue of Eumachia (see In Stone and Story figure 6.2). The full inscription over back entrance to the Eumachia building is shown in photo 6.2, advertising Augustan concord and piety (compare the massive inscription at the front of the Eumachia building, shown in In Stone and Story figure 6.3). The front of the Eumachia building had two statue bays to the left of the entryway, where statues of Aeneus and Romulus were placed, along with inscriptions in their honor (see photo 6.3). The interior of the Eumachia building is shown in photo 6.4. When Eumachia died, she was memorialized in a massive tomb (captured in photo 6.5) in a necropolis to the south of Pompeii.
Photo 6.6
The three “Capitoline deities” of Roman success are depicted in this photo, with the three deities together in a Pompeian lamp, together with the eagle emblem that represented Rome in its full glory.
Photo 6.7
This photo depicts the podium for political speeches in Herculaneum. It is possibly not wholly coincidental that the speakers’ podium is placed right next to an entryway into the College of the Augustales (a powerful group dedicated to the Roman political order, discussed especially in In Stone and Story chapters 11 and 13). This must have had the effect of ensuring that speeches delivered from this podium were in alignment with the political ideology of the day.
Class Activities
Prior to the class on chapter 6 of In Stone and Story, ask students to bring to this class instances of modern messages that are politically or socially subversive. Have students discuss how are they similar or different to subversive messages we find in the ancient world.
Discussion Questions
- How did claims of Roman peace and security relate to claims of the early Jesus-movement? How were they similar? How were they different? Why do some New Testament texts appear to push back against some of these Roman imperial claims?
- Our author provides an example of an oath of commitment to the Roman imperial family (page 72). What might a Jesus-follower think of such an oath?