Chap. I. EARLY MOSAICS AT RAVENNA. 35 The right side of the nave was devoted to the glorifi cation of the Redeemer by the martyrs and prophets and to incidents immediately preceding his death. Above the first series of arches twenty six martyrs, hearing crowns, seems to have issued from the palace of Ravenna (Pala- tium) and are formed in a single front line extending to the side of the Saviour who sits enthroned between four angels. A palm separates the martyrs from each other. MS. records in S. Apollinare Nuovo state that as late as 1580 this procession, if it deserves that name, was headed by S. Stephen who with his right arm extended seemed to introduce to the Saviour S. Martin who led the band of holy men. It is startling to find that, as the mosaic now stands, the figure of S. Stephen is gone and the space which he occupied has been filled up by the total renewal of one of the angels at the Saviour’s side on a scale stouter, and in a space broader than the original. The same records affirm that the Saviour sat enthroned between four angels and held in his left hand a book on which the words “Ego sum rex glorias” were written. It would be vain now to look for the book in the Saviour’s hand. 1 It will be seen on the contrary that, as the figure stands at present, a sceptre is placed in the hand which of old held the book. The movement of the arm is changed, and thus not only is the figure altered but a new attribute is introduced, according the fancy of a restorer who seems to have repaired one entire vertical half of the form. Judging from that portion of the Redeemer which remains, the spectator might admit that he was majestic in character, 1 The restoration of the figure of the Saviour and the alteration of the distribution of the space are evident at first sight, and led naturally to the inquiry whe ther it had always been so. Then it was that by the kindness of the prior it became possible to consult a memorandum MS. in folio, preserved in the records of the church and written in 1580 by Father Giovanni Francesco Malazappi da Carpi, where at folio 45, the description of the mosaics is given, as narrated in the text. The absence of one saint in the procession of martyrs is evident from a comparison with that of the females on the other side. 24 of these with the three Magi complete the number of 27. The spaces are similarly divided on both sides. Hence it was obvious that one saint on the right side had disappeared, since, without him the number would be reduced to twenty six. Buthesides, the memorandum above quoted mentions each saint by name, the first nearest the Saviour being S. Stephen, the second S. Martin and so on with the rest. The names of the saints are still in scribed and S. Martin is now the nearest the Saviour. 3*