The 19th century architect and archaeologist H. W. Brewer's sketch showing many features of the 4th century Theodosian Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls as it existed even up until the 16th century. Like at Old St. Peter's the confessio, sanctuary, and Altar was surrounded by not just low balustrades, but by magnificent columns with a transenna, with various sacred images [I believe it may have also had an inner 'gate'-screen of sorts, as was found in Old St. Peter's].
Sometime after in the later 16th century the old 4th century columns were taken down, as well as the transenna, and other features, to conform to the new RC notions of 'opening up' the sanctuary. As soon as the church had its open freedom to build as it desired, it was always directed in this direction; and it was only with the greatest difficult and much resistance that these ideas of distinction were broken down in the minds of peoples. When one hears the word 'chancel' today, it has come to be largely divorced from it's originally meaning of either a lattice work screen, or something similar.
[Sketch by the architect and archaeology H W Brewer; when the sketch says 'Time of St. Ignatius', they are referring to the RC saint Ignatius of Loyola, which would place this as depicting the basilica in the 16th century.]
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