Leaving Their Mark

Traces of the Early Christian Movement in Smyrna Through Graffiti

Authors

  • Melissa Yorio Princeton University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32473/pcgss.3.134263

Keywords:

Graffiti, Early Christianity, Michel de Certeau, Smyrna

Abstract

This paper analyzes early Christian graffiti found in the Basilica of the Agora in Smyrna with special attention given to their relationship to the space and how readers would have interacted with them. Using these specific examples, this paper argues that Christians identified with their faith, marked their movements, and carved out their own space in a public, shared environment.

Author Biography

Melissa Yorio, Princeton University

Melissa Yorio is a first year PhD student in Religions of Mediterranean Antiquity at Princeton University. Yorio graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May of 2023 with a Master of Arts in Early Christian Studies. She is a contributor with the Ancient Graffiti Project and coordinated the 2023 field season for the Caladinho Archaeological Project in Portugal. At Princeton, Yorio studies the social history of early Christian communities through ancient graffiti and material culture. 

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Published

2024-08-15

How to Cite

Yorio, M. (2024). Leaving Their Mark: Traces of the Early Christian Movement in Smyrna Through Graffiti. Selected Proceedings of the Classics Graduate Student Symposia at the University of Florida , 3, 6–21. https://doi.org/10.32473/pcgss.3.134263

Issue

Vol. 3 (2024)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Melissa Yorio

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.