The Theology of Marble in Central Italy in the Second Century B.C.E. (20 min)

Presenters

Alexander Ekserdjian, Yale University

Abstract

The various materials used for divine images in the period of the late republic, especially the increasing use of stone for sculpture, have been a staple theme of scholarly analyses focused on Rome, Italy, and beyond. These studies have not, however, explored the full potential of materiality as a carrier of religious meanings in central Italy.

This paper interrogates the similarities and differences in the sculptural materiality of gods and of mortals, suggesting intentionally divergent representation as a key element of the visual theology of the second century. I focus on marble in particular, analyzing the different valences of acrolithic statues of gods at scale, which used stone only for the extremities of the figures, vis-à-vis the solid marble dedications representing mortals. Objects from the city of Rome, the colony of Alba Fucens, and the Latin city of Praeneste are brought together to demonstrate the differing norms for human and divine representation, despite the potential use of marble for both constituencies.

Marble was able to communicate information about the nature of the gods because of how it was employed: for divine images, marble was most often used alongside other materials, amplifying the importance of the individual substances as stand-ins for bodies or clothing. A more conscious approach to the choice of sculptural materials, showcased by the acrolithic technique, is thereby revealed to be a central element in distinguishing immortal bodies from mortal statues.

As a whole, this study underlines both the importance of technique within discussions of sculptural materials, and the role of materiality itself in ancient strategies of visual differentiation of mortals and gods. At the same time, the study of materiality demonstrates the role that images played in forming Roman attitudes toward the divine.