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Constantius II and the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican

2015; Franz Steiner Verlag; Volume: 64; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.25162/historia-2015-0008

2365-3108

Richard Westall,

Classical Studies and Legal History

A critical review of the various sources relating to the Vatican in the course of the fourth century leads to the conclusion that Constantius II built the basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican in AD 357-359 in all likelihood. Whereas contemporary literary sources are silent through the mid- 350s, a prosopographical analysis of the testimony of the Liber Pontificalis reveals the involvement of one of the consuls of AD 358: Censorius Datianus. Moreover, the combined evidence of coins, brick-stamps, and the dated sarcophagus of Iunius Bassus († 25.8.359) points to the basilica's creation in AD 357-359.