▁front ▁of ▁the ▁church , ▁and ▁an ▁early ▁Christian ▁m osa ic ▁was ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁site . ▁The ▁a ps is ▁m osa ic ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁and ▁shows ▁Christ ▁( in ▁black ▁cl othing ▁with ▁gold ▁l ati ▁cla vi , ▁which ▁on ▁Roman ▁gar ments ▁indicated ▁high ▁rank ) ▁se ated ▁on ▁an ▁orb ▁representing ▁the ▁heav ens , ▁fl ank ed ▁by ▁Peter ▁and ▁Paul ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁two ▁mart y rs ▁The odore ▁( a ▁later ▁addition , ▁from ▁Nicholas ▁V ' s ▁rest oration ) ▁and ▁Cle onic us . ▁ ▁The ▁church ▁is ▁also ▁tradition ally ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁seven ▁original ▁de acon ries ▁in ▁Rome , ▁being ▁assigned ▁to ▁a ▁de acon ▁by ▁Pope ▁Ag ath o ▁( ca . ▁ 6 7 8 ), ▁though ▁the ▁first ▁tit ular ▁de acon ▁known ▁by ▁name ▁was ▁Roberto , ▁ca . ▁ 1 0 7 3 , ▁who ▁died ▁before ▁ 1 0 9 9 . ▁▁ ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁definit ive ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁church ' s ▁existence ▁before ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century . ▁As ▁the ▁dedic ation ▁to ▁an ▁eastern ▁saint ▁suggests , ▁this ▁places ▁it ▁in ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁strong ▁By z antine ▁influence ▁in ▁Rome . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁re built ▁under ▁Pope ▁Nicholas ▁V , ▁had ▁its ▁long - h eld ▁tit ular ▁church ▁status ▁suppress ed ▁by ▁Pope ▁Si xt us ▁V , ▁was ▁renov ated ▁by ▁Francesco ▁Bar ber ini ▁in ▁ 1 6