Editing Cathedral (section)

==== 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.