Arch Of Constantine Spoliation Essay

From the time of the ancient world leading up to the medieval period, there have been countless examples of spoliation and iconoclasm. During these processes, images and materials from previous works are either destroyed (iconoclasm) or taken and altered to fit a new meaning (spoliation). Some of these artifacts include the Arch of Constantine, the repurposing of pagan temples and imagery devoted to goddesses into churches devoted to the Virgin Mary, and the removal of the image of Geta of the Severan family. In regards to churches, this essay will focus mainly on St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and the use of different building materials taken from other ancient civilizations to build it. Of these, the Arch of Constantine and the repurposing
The Arch of Constantine was completed in 315 C.E. as a monument to the Emperor Constantine’s victory three years prior over Maxentius, a Roman tyrant. The battle was fought over the Milvian Bridge on the 28th of October in 312 C.E. Emperor Dioclitian, who had come before Constantine, abdicated the imperial throne. Thus, the question of who would come into power next was asked among the generals and those with any claim to the throne. Flavius Valerius Constantinus, or Constantine, was popularly named deputy emperor of the West by his troops, and by Dioclitian’s named successor, Galerius. This meant that Constantine was in control of Britain and Gaul. Maxentius, Constantine’s half-brother, had seized Italy and the city of Rome in a war against Galerius. Galerius died a few years later in 311, and Constantine subsequently began conquering areas that had been taken by Maxentius, including Turin, Verona, and Rome. The struggle came to a head at the Milvian Bridge, where Constantine crushed Maxentius and later became the Roman
He credited his triumphs on the battlefield to the Christian God, and shortly after coming into power expanded the toleration of Christians and restored any property taken from them during persecution under previous emperors. He began building several cathedrals and basilicas in the early years of his reign. But perhaps one of the most interesting constructions of Constantine is the Arch of Constantine. The Arch was completed for the 10th year anniversary of Constantine’s reign, called a Decennalia. The Decennalia was celebrated for most every Roman Emperor. The Arch itself is over 68 feet tall, about 84 feet wide, and incredibly visually stimulating. It is made of white and grey marble. The Arch in reality contains three separate arches, with a large central arch and the two on either side being more narrow and short. These two smaller arches are known as fornixes. Between the arches are four Corinthian-style columns, with one on either extreme end, and the other two between the inner side of each fornix and the outer sides of the main arch. These columns are a different kind of marble, and have a more yellow hue. Each column has a base and pedestal and is topped with an entablature, then another pedestal with statues. Each statue represents a Dacian prisoner. Several parts of these statues were originally used in earlier Roman monuments, and were taken