Damasus' curation of the Catacombs of St Callixtus: Damasus' curation of the Catacombs of St Callixtus

With persecution becoming a distant memory and Christians moving up the ladder of societal respect, an amended collective memory befitting of their evolved status, under the authority of the bishop of Rome, was needed.<br> <br>This thesis proposes that Damasus utilised the Catacombs of St Callixtus, arguably the most prominent subterranean burial complex in Rome, to promote his version of an evolved collective Christian identity, in an attempt to mould the identity of the Church and unify Christians under the leadership of the bishop of Rome.

Further, this thesis argues that Damasus’ curation of the Catacombs of St Callixtus created an evolved and relevant heterotopia which supported his intent.<br><br>The material and phenomenological interventions by Damasus are explored, in light of Foucault’s definition of a heterotopia of compensation. These interventions include the blocking of galleries to direct the path of the pilgrim, the utilisation of light, and the installation of carefully composed epigrams.<br><br>Although the prevailing view in scholarship is that Damasus’ interventions were intended to position himself as the impresario of the martyrs (P. Brown, 1981), this thesis suggests that more subtle strands of intent should also be considered.