The site and excavations of S. Sebastiano at the third mile of the via Appia has
been discussed in literally hundreds of publications due to its importance for our
understanding of the cult of the martyr saints Peter and Paul. It is a major focus of my
larger project, which examines the relationship between early Christians and their ...
The site and excavations of S. Sebastiano at the third mile of the via Appia has
been discussed in literally hundreds of publications due to its importance for our
understanding of the cult of the martyr saints Peter and Paul. It is a major focus of my
larger project, which examines the relationship between early Christians and their nonChristian surroundings through the study of the interaction between different social
groups in a small but intensively used part of the Roman suburbium, generously funded
by the Leverhulme foundation.1
The present paper can only outline one element of the
larger argument. I shall start with a brief overview of the history of the site, then discuss
the most popular interpretation offered for the cult of the apostles Peter and Paul at this
location, and finally present some of my own readings of the remains in their wider
context.
