Final answer:
The Roman civil basilica served civic functions and had a simple rectangular form, often located at the edge of a forum.
The Christian basilica added a transept to emphasize the interior, creating a cruciform shape to symbolize the Crucifixion, and featured an enclosed forecourt.
Therefore, the correct answer is: option C). The civil basilica has only one entrance, while the Christian basilica has many.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between a Roman civil basilica and a basilica built for Christian worship primarily lies in their structure and purpose. A Roman civic basilica was a rectangular building used for legal and business transactions and might include an apse generally facing north.
It was often situated at the edge of a forum. Christian basilicas, on the other hand, were adapted from these civic structures to suit the liturgical functions of the new religion, emphasizing interior space for congregations and ceremonial processes.
Christians added a transept between the nave and the apse which ran perpendicular to the nave, bestowing the building with a cruciform (cross-like) shape to signify the Christian faith, particularly the Crucifixion.
In addition, Christian basilicas like the fourth or fifth-century structures, featured a forecourt which was completely enclosed and lined with a colonnade, contrasting with the basilicas used in civil Roman life that did not typically have such an enclosed forecourt.
These Christian forecourts were entered through a series of buildings along a public street. The addition of the transept, which was absent in civil basilicas, is a critical differentiator between the two as it is responsible for the overall symbolic shape of the Christian basilicas, creating a manifested connection to the Christian faith and its rituals.