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27 - Spolia

from Part II - Artefacts and Evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2025

Leonard V. Rutgers
Affiliation:
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
Neil Christie
Affiliation:
University of Leicester
Robin M. Jensen
Affiliation:
University of Notre Dame, Indiana
Jodi Magness
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
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Summary

This chapter examines the phenomenon of spolia in Late Antiquity, focusing on the reuse of architectural and sculptural elements in new contexts. It explores examples from Rome, Milan, Ravenna, Thessaloniki and Constantinople, analysing how materials were repurposed for practical, aesthetic and ideological purposes. The contribution differentiates between indiscriminate reuse for construction and the deliberate selection of objects for symbolic or propagandistic reasons. One major discussion centres on the Arch of Constantine (312–15 CE), which incorporates second-century reliefs from monuments dedicated to Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. The chapter considers whether this reuse was driven by practical necessity due to a lack of skilled artisans or intended as an ideological statement aligning Constantine with past emperors. In religious contexts, the Lateran Basilica and Old St Peter’s in Rome reused columns and marbles, transferring imperial grandeur to Christian spaces. This study also investigates the role of spolia in fortifications, with repurposed materials found in city walls, cisterns and military installations. Highlighting how this practice continued into the medieval period, when spolia became more prominent in church facades and mosques, the chapter argues that reuse in Late Antiquity was not simply a result of economic constraints but a deliberate process that shaped architectural and artistic traditions.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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  • Spolia
  • Edited by Leonard V. Rutgers, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, Neil Christie, University of Leicester, Robin M. Jensen, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, Jodi Magness, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Book: The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Late Antique Art and Archaeology
  • Online publication: 04 July 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009535090.028
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  • Spolia
  • Edited by Leonard V. Rutgers, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, Neil Christie, University of Leicester, Robin M. Jensen, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, Jodi Magness, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Book: The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Late Antique Art and Archaeology
  • Online publication: 04 July 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009535090.028
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Spolia
  • Edited by Leonard V. Rutgers, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, Neil Christie, University of Leicester, Robin M. Jensen, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, Jodi Magness, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Book: The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Late Antique Art and Archaeology
  • Online publication: 04 July 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009535090.028
Available formats
×