Crus and Lex in the Apse Mosaic of San Clemente

Abstract The famous apse mosaic of San Clemente in Rome has been thoroughly studied, but it is so rich that it still has the capacity to surprise. This article focuses on the inscription below the apse and points out that one word is standardly misread: the word is not CRUX (‘Cross’), but CRUS. This turns out to have a highly relevant sense. The article explores the implications of this word and of the inscription more widely. 1

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Publication Details

Journal
New Blackfriars
Published
2025-04-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/nbf.2025.10
Primary Topic
Classical Antiquity Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Crus and Lex in the Apse Mosaic of San Clemente

Margaret Atkins
New Blackfriars
Classical Antiquity Studies
article

Crus and Lex in the Apse Mosaic of San Clemente

Margaret Atkins
article en

Abstract

Abstract The famous apse mosaic of San Clemente in Rome has been thoroughly studied, but it is so rich that it still has the capacity to surprise. This article focuses on the inscription below the apse and points out that one word is standardly misread: the word is not CRUX (‘Cross’), but CRUS. This turns out to have a highly relevant sense. The article explores the implications of this word and of the inscription more widely. 1

New BlackfriarsVol. 106(3)
University of Oxford (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 91%
Classical Antiquity Studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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Crus and Lex in the Apse Mosaic of San Clemente — Margaret Atkins · New Blackfriars (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS