masterwork of early christian art, it depicts the expulsion of adam and eve, the entry of jesus into jerusalem, daniel in the lion's den, the arrest of saint paul, and other scenes that have become icons of the faith. the central figure is christ, the giver of law, seated on the throne of heaven, flanked by peter and paul. but elements of the pagan past remain. calais, the roman god of the skies, supports the floor of heaven. christ wears the robe of a greek philosopher... and his beardless, youthful face bears more than a passing resemblance to pagan images of apollo. the first great churches were variations of the roman assembly hall known as a basilica, with a central nave often ending in a semicircular apse and side aisles screened by colonnades. santa sabina, finished in 432, is a particularly fine example of these simple but elegant early christian basilicas. the roman arch appears here in yet another form, springing directly from the column capitals. the insignia of the new christianized empire, whose capital is no longer rome but constantinople, are placed with perhaps unconscious symb