Kriophoroi and .22The Good Shepherd.22 Kriophoros

free-standing fourth-century ce roman sculptures, , third-century ones, identified christ, shepherd , illustrating pericope in gospel of john, , second-century christian literary work shepherd of hermas. in two-dimensional art, hermes kriophoros transformed christ carrying lamb , walking among sheep: find philosophers holding scrolls or hermes kriophoros can turned christ giving law (traditio legis) , shepherd respectively (peter , linda murray, oxford companion classical art , architecture, p. 475.). shepherd common motif catacombs of rome (gardner, 10, fig 54) , in sarcophagus reliefs, christian , pagan symbolism combined, making secure identifications difficult. theme appear in wall-paintings of baptistery of dura-europos church, house-church @ dura-europos before 256 ce, , more familiarly in sixth-century christian mosaics, in mausoleum of galla placidia @ ravenna, , there famous free-standing sculpture, said of 300ad, , made christian, in vatican museums.

not every kriophoros, in christian times, christ, shepherd: kriophoros shepherd, fleeing flock attack of wolf, interpreted purely pastoral figure rather christ, shepherd, when appeared in refined late fourth-early fifth century floor mosaics of colonnade round courtyard in great palace @ constantinople. nonetheless, shepherd must have been picture found in [christian] places of worship before constantine, common of symbolic depictions of jesus used during persecution of christians under roman empire, when christian art furtive , ambiguous. fifth-century, relatively few depictions leave no doubt identity of shepherd, @ ravenna.