Sub tectis et in abditum. Identità religiose e pratiche cultuali in ambito domestico nel Mediterraneo tardoantico

The paper deals with the topic of domestic religiosity during Late Antiquity, particularly within the eastern territories of the Empire. The significant potential of this line of research is that it provides tangible elements for reconstructing the prevailing mentality and cultural norms of the era. Nonetheless, this field is hampered by the scarcity of archaeological evidence, which often presents interpretative challenges. It is only in recent times that scholars have initiated investigations into the penetration of christianity into the domestic realm during Late Antiquity. Such research has predominantly concentrated on two principal avenues: the occurrence and significance of Christian imagery in household environments, and the formation of private worship spaces within residences. Within the milieu of the Empire’s eastern provinces, the variety of accounts and novel findings invite a reassessment of this topic, with the objective of defining its structure and socio-cultural connotations. The integration of archaeological, epigraphic, and iconographic sources, in particular, illuminates the significance of written text as a tool for constructing and manifesting personal religious identity within the domestic sphere according to specific communication strategies.