Recycling Myths in Byzantine Art: Spolia on the Gate of Persecution in Ephesus

The re-appropriation of ancient myth in Byzantine art was pursuit not only in the form of iconographic inspiration in new art works, but also by means of a real “recycling” of ancient pieces, including sculpture and precious objects, reused and displayed within new artifacts or new installations. Most works are now lost, but it is possible to analyze a number of cases thanks to the testimony of written sources. In this paper I focus on the context in which the “spoliated” pieces were reused: I aim to find out whether certain mythological scenes were chosen intentionally, if they bore the same meaning as in their original context, or, were they reinterpreted, to which purpose, and how did the beholder react to them. There could be mentioned many cases, but, focusing mainly on early Byzantium, the so-called Gate of the Persecutions at Selçuk/Ephesus is considered here as a major case study.