El ave fénix: imagen simbólica y didáctica de la resurrección en la transición del arte antiguo al altomedieval

Abstract

The phoenix became one of the most emblematic representations of Antiquity and the Middle Ages. It was capable of reviving from its own ashes. This ability to die and be reborn made it an animal widely represented in art, the iconography of which was highly symbolic. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used its image in funerary and political contexts. Early Christians appropriated this symbol, using it from early times as an example of the resurrection. In this article we focus on the representation of the phoenix now of its death and rebirth, focusing on its appearance in funerary contexts (tombs and sarcophagi) as well as the depiction of the moment of its own cremation. We will analyze the reasons why this animal iconography was so successful in ancient and medieval Christian sources. In this way we will be able to understand how the phoenix, which was a powerful image with very ancient origins in the Mediterranean, became with the arrival of Christianity an exemplum of the true existence of the resurrection of Christ and a symbol of hope for humanity in the face of death.