Editing Cathedral (section)

===Origins and characteristics of the first cathedrals in Europe===
[[File:Roma San Giovanni in Laterano BW 2.JPG|thumb|The Patriarchal [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]], [[Rome]].]]
The history of cathedrals commenced in the year 313, when the emperor [[Constantine the Great]] personally adopted Christianity and initiated the [[Peace of the Church]]. Indeed, in strict terminology, there could not have been "cathedrals" before that date, as before the 4th century there were no Christian "cathedrae"; bishops were never seated when leading congregational worship, but instead presided standing on a raised platform or ''pulpitum''. In the third century, the phrase "ascending the platform", ''ad pulpitum venire'', becomes the standard term for Christian [[ordination]]. During the siege of [[Dura Europos]] in 256, a complete Christian house church, or ''domus ecclesiae'' was entombed in a defensive bank, surviving when excavated, in places to wall-top height. The Dura church had been converted out of a large urban courtyard house of standard form, in which two rooms had been knocked together to make an assembly hall, capable of holding 60-75 standing; while a tank had been inserted in a room on the opposite side of the courtyard as a baptistery, with rich wall paintings above it. The large room was indeed found to have a raised pulpitum at one end, big enough for one person in turn to read, preach and preside from; but too low to have been surmounted by a throne, and too small to have contained an altar. Otherwise the large room had no decoration or distinctive features at all.

In 269, soon after Dura fell to the Persian army, a body of clerics assembled a charge sheet against the bishop of Antioch, [[Paul of Samosata]], in the form of an open letter. Amongst the accusations was that Paul, who had received the civil rank of ''ducenarius'' due to contacts in the imperial court, had improperly erected an enclosure, or ''secretum'', for himself in the church of Antioch; that within this enclosure he had erected a throne from which he presided in worship; and that he had trained a female choir to sing hymns of his own devising. These practices were all condemned as innovations, improperly importing the symbols of his secular Roman magistracy into church ritual; while presumptuously and blasphemously asserting that the person of the bishop in eucharistic worship is seated in the place of Christ himself. Still in a hundred years, all bishops in the Mediterranean world had cathedrals, all sat on thrones within an enclosed sanctuary space, and all had established trained choirs to enhance eucharistic worship.

The driving principle underlying this change was the acceptance by bishops, more or less willingly, of an imperial invitation to adopt and maintain the duties, dignity and insignia proper to a public [[magistrate]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Eusebius |title=Life of Constantine|page=4:27,2}}</ref> Characteristically a Roman magistrate presided from a raised throne in a large, richly decorated and aisled rectangular hall called a ''[[basilica]]''; and now bishops would do the same. The earliest of these new basilican cathedrals of which substantial remains are still visible (and maybe amongst the very earliest to be built) is below the [[Cathedral of Aquileia]] on the northern tip of the [[Adriatic]] sea. Dated from a mosaic inscription between 313 and 319, the complex consisted of two parallel east–west aisled halls of similar size; with a third smaller north–south cross-hall connecting them, which has been interpreted as the presence hall of the ''episcopium'' or bishop's residence. The three halls create an open courtyard, in which was originally located a separate baptistery. Surviving from both large basilican halls are rich mosaic pavements showing (amongst other scenes) [[Jonah and the Whale]], and a series of, mainly female, donor portraits. It appears that similar cathedrals of double-basilica and baptistry were soon afterwards erected in [[Milan]], [[Trier]] and [[Pavia]]; but that subsequently single-basilican churches became the more common cathedral model.

Constantine's declaration of imperial favour towards Christianity transformed all aspects of Christian life in the Roman Empire. From being a minority religion, largely confined to urban areas and restricted social groupings, and subject to official hostility and occasional persecution; Christianity acquired greatly expanded numbers of potential adherents of all classes, initially still within city areas, but eventually extending out to the ''[[pagus]]'', the city's rural hinterland. The consequence was a radical expansion in the buildings, funding and personnel of associated Church establishments throughout the 4th century. The first cathedrals represent this expansion in material form.

==== Buildings ====

The location and layout of the first cathedrals varied substantially from city to city, although most, as at Aquileia, tended to be sited within the city walls but away from the urban centre; certain elements are almost always found.

==== Basilicas ====
[[File:Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - Roma.jpg|thumb|The [[Santa Maria Maggiore|Basilica of Saint Mary Major]], Rome]]
[[Basilica]]n halls had previously been characteristic of major civic complexes and military headquarters buildings; but now became the standard structure for accommodating large Christian congregations. From now on, the term basilica denotes any substantial church building. These new basilicas were wholly different in scale from earlier Christian assembly halls, as they were also different in form from any Roman non-Christian temple or religious structure. The halls were longitudinal, aisled, and flooded with light from large [[clerestory]] windows. Floors and walls were richly decorated with mosaic and inlay&nbsp;– usually in abstract or floral patterns. The two original double basilicas at Aquileia had both been about 37m by 17m in size, but within 30 years one hall was quadrupled to 73m by 31m. This expanded basilica now demonstrated three additional features that became characteristic of early cathedrals: an enclosure at the eastern end of the church surrounding the altar; a ''{{lang|el|[[synthronos]]}}'' east of the altar facing west, and consisting of a raised dais with a centrally place bishop's throne and benches either side for the clergy of his ''familia''; and a partitioned-off ''[[narthex]]'' at the western end into which ''[[catechumens]]'' would withdraw during the central act of the [[Eucharist]]ic liturgy.

==== Baptisteries ====

The baptistery in the Dura church was about 1m square and 1m deep; baptismal candidates could stand in it, but could not be immersed. In the new cathedrals, as had been the case before, only bishops baptised; and ceremonies were held not more than twice a year to allow for suitable periods of instruction. So baptisteries needed to be greatly increased in size, with associated accommodation to ensure privacy in undressing, anointing and redressing; and the baptismal tank, commonly octagonal, was now fully deep enough for total immersion, and wide enough to accommodate both the candidate and an assisting male or female deacon. Baptisteries commonly adopted centralised plan forms derived from funerary chapels; and are invariably separate from the congregational basilica.
[[File:(Albi) Palais de la Berbie, depuis le Vieux Pont.jpg|left|thumb|The {{ill|Palais de la Berbie|fr|Palais de la Berbie|lt=Palais de la Berbie,}} an episcopal palace in [[Albi]], France]]

==== Episcopium ====

No one lived in the house church at Dura; such residential facilities as the latrine and kitchen were removed in the conversion. But cathedral complexes always included an episcopal residence. Prominent amongst the charges that had been directed against [[Paul of Samosata]] had been his alleged over-familiarity with pious women. As was common, Paul had been married when elected bishop; and again, as was universally expected for a bishop, he had then ceased sexual contact with his wife and no longer cohabited with her. But his accusers charged that, by continuing to associate with other women (even without any indication of actual impropriety) he was creating an unacceptable potential for scandal. To avoid similar such occasions arising, it was necessary for the new cathedrals to create male-only living quarters for the bishop and his entire establishment; and since, in churches in the West, all [[presbyters]] and [[deacons]] were also expected to live apart from their wives after ordination, these living quarters, the ''episcopium'', were necessarily substantial in extent. In addition to eating and sleeping quarters for ordained boys and men, the episcopium also commonly provided private dining halls for the hospitality expected of the bishop's enhanced social status, a private [[Oratory (worship)|oratory]] or chapel for the bishop, and often a bath house.