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Ancient Roman Marble
"Students of archaeology must surely, however, be well aware
that there does not exist a single slab, or column, or
tiniest fragment of ancient marble in any church or gallery
or workshop in Rome, which was not brought there expressly
at fabulous expense, and at the cost of infinite labour, by
the very same old Romans who built the Palaces of the
Caesars, and the Baths of Caracalla, and the Colosseum. To the thoughtful student of Roman history, whether classical or Christian, the investigation of ancient marbles is equally important and attractive. No reference either to the political, religious, or private life, of the wonderful people whose footprints we love to trace out along an interminable Sacred Way can be complete without it. It is impossible to exaggerate the affection which they entertained for marbles. After a conquest in time of war, the columns brought home from foreign temples and theatres were esteemed among the choicest of the spoil. In time of peace, when the rulers of the city could find nothing better for idle hands to do than persecute the heretics of the age, many thousands of Christians were condemned to labour in the quarries of Asia Minor or one of the Greek Islands, that the supply of marble should not fail. And this circumstance invests our subject with a positively sacred interest ; because it is nothing less than certain, that out of the 6000 columns now existing in Rome, many hundreds, at least, must have been excavated and fashioned into shape, and carved and polished, by a noble army of confessors, who had given up their goods, their liberty, and their homes, to keep our infant faith alive. We possess, unfortunately, no record of the amount of marble actually imported ; but some idea of its stupendous quantity may be gathered from the consideration that, although for upwards of a thousand years such treasures were in course of wholesale destruction by earthquake, inundation, and fire ; though columns without number were carried off or overthrown by barbarian conquerors as the Empire slowly fell; though huge blocks and capitals and friezes were powdered into dust by bricklayers and burnt into quicklime ; though probably not a hundredth part of her treasures yet remains Rome is still the richest marble city in the world." Rev. H.W.
Pullen, M.A., "Handbook Of Ancient Roman Marbles" (London:
John Murray, Albemarle Street,
1894) pp. 2-4
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