Between private and public: The use of marble in Late Antique Caesarea Maritima

Abstract

Late Antique Caesarea was a city of marble. Marble cargoes continued to arrive at the port after the 4th century AD as plain blocks, half-finished or finished products; these constituted a significant addition to the available Roman marble products, which were used as-is or recycled in streets, as well as private, public, and semi-public constructions. Large-scale sawing, cutting and carving took place in Late Antique Caesarea. Craftsmen were employed in producing opus sectile panels, in paving, veneering, and carving architectural members, champlevé reliefs and lattice screen panels, and in mounting all marble products comprising the exterior and interior decoration of each complex. In all structures marble was used for similar purposes, although each was unique in terms of quantity, quality, and diversity of the material. The examples discussed show that at every stage of the city’s existence the Caesareans were familiar with the most up-to-date fashions and were no less innovative than their counterparts in the region and beyond. The aesthetic principle of varietas, which became fashionable in Late Antiquity and was adopted by the Caesareans, found its way from the public to the private and semi-public spheres, and is manifested in most, if not all, of the complexes discussed in this paper.