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Room 3: From the Elysian Fields to the Christian Paradise: Burials and Cemeteries in the Early Christian Period
The Elysian Fields of the ancient Greeks, that place of well-being and delight to which heroes and those chosen by the gods went when they died, were replaced by the Christian paradise, where the faithful Christians would go after death. In order to endear itself to the people, the Christian Church accepted a number of pagan burial customs, with the exception of cremation. 

Άποψη έκθεσης
The exhibition presents such themes as the cemeteries of Thessaloniki, the typology of the tombs, grave inscriptions, the objects that accompanied the dead in the tomb, as well as grave painting through the rich collection of detached burial frescoes of the museum.

The exhibition was co-funded by the European Union, RAFAEL programme. It was organised as part of the European Science Foundation's "The Transformation of the Roman World, AD 400-900" research programme, which also included exhibitions mounted by four other European Museums.


Susannah and the Elders. Fresco from a tomb, 5th c.
Susannah and the Elders
Fresco from a tomb, 5th c.
The Old Testament story of Susannah is an allegory of the triumph of the Christian Church over the pagan religion. 
Themes from the Old and New Testaments were used in grave painting in a symbolical way.

Pottery vessels, 3rd-4th cc.
Pottery vessels, 
3rd-4th cc.
The pottery or glass vessels, which accompanied the deceased or were used in the burial ceremony, were placed in the grave intact or broken.

Grave finds, end of 3rd - 1st half of 4th c.
Grave finds, end of 3rd - 1st half of 4th c.
Excavated graves frequently yield a variety of objects, including pottery and glass vessels, jewellery, and coins. The custom of burying the dead with their personal effects and other objects dates to antiquity, but also survived and was accepted in the Christian period.

Grave inscription of Bardion, a palace servant, 5th c.
Grave inscription of Bardion, a palace servant, 5th c.
The inscriptions identify the graves. They furnish various kinds of information relating to the name and occupation of the deceased, how much the graves cost, rank and position, and the law and customs of the period.