ABSTRACT
Some common iconographic themes from Christian art of the pre-Constantinian era lack a clear connection with any specific biblical narrative. This absence of narrative reference indicates that these images are more generally symbolic and arguably less illustrative than others that portray an episode from scripture. Their symbolic import is of long standing, since many such figures were common in non-Christian or pagan contexts, although often known by other names or changed in certain ways as they moved into Christian settings. Since they are not exclusively Christian, both their signification and their meaning depend on their juxtaposition with other clearly Christian figures. 1
