Visual reconstruction of De Ceremoniis Book 1, ch43, page 10-11
Annotations:
1. Spatial arrangement of the Araia, terrace, and Hall of the Nineteen Couches
The exact spatial relationship between the Araia, the terrace, and the Hall of the Nineteen Couches is uncertain. I considered several possible arrangements, including whether the terrace might have been located within or as an extension of the Hall. In the earlier sketches, I therefore left the area in front of the Hall open. I now favor an interpretation in which a raised terrace stood in front of the Hall, with the senators positioned on the stairs on either side of it. The earlier drawings will remain unchanged; subsequent scenes will follow this revised layout.
The exact spatial relationship between the Araia, the terrace, and the Hall of the Nineteen Couches is uncertain. I considered several possible arrangements, including whether the terrace might have been located within or as an extension of the Hall. In the earlier sketches, I therefore left the area in front of the Hall open. I now favor an interpretation in which a raised terrace stood in front of the Hall, with the senators positioned on the stairs on either side of it. The earlier drawings will remain unchanged; subsequent scenes will follow this revised layout.
2. The terrace and ceremonial visibility
I interpret the raised terrace as potentially serving a function of ceremonial visibility. With the emperor performing the investiture of the Caesar before the assembled senators and military personnel, a slightly elevated platform would allow the ceremony to be seen by a larger portion of the assembly. The exact height of the terrace and the number of steps are uncertain and remain an interpretive element of this reconstruction.
I interpret the raised terrace as potentially serving a function of ceremonial visibility. With the emperor performing the investiture of the Caesar before the assembled senators and military personnel, a slightly elevated platform would allow the ceremony to be seen by a larger portion of the assembly. The exact height of the terrace and the number of steps are uncertain and remain an interpretive element of this reconstruction.
3. The cross and ceremonial insignia
The text later states that “the cross” is standing in the Tribunal, while earlier the Patriarch is described as entering the Church of St. Stephen and waiting there. The text does not explicitly describe the movement of the cross between these locations. In this reconstruction, I therefore added a transitional scene showing the cross being brought from the Church of St. Stephen to the Tribunal, in order to connect the two stages of the ceremony visually.
The text later states that “the cross” is standing in the Tribunal, while earlier the Patriarch is described as entering the Church of St. Stephen and waiting there. The text does not explicitly describe the movement of the cross between these locations. In this reconstruction, I therefore added a transitional scene showing the cross being brought from the Church of St. Stephen to the Tribunal, in order to connect the two stages of the ceremony visually.
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