Byzantine Preservation of Ancient Monuments
at Miletus in Caria
Christian Antiquarianism in Western Asia Minor
Philipp Niewöhner

Abstract This paper tries to understand the extraordinary preservation of ancient Miletus
throughout the early Byzantine period, which did not occur due to abandonment or neglect but
due to intentional conservation. This qualifies as Byzantine antiquarianism, appears to have been
unrelated to paganism, and was practised by Christians. Comparison with similarly well-pre-
served ancient cityscapes at Aphrodisias and Ephesus suggests that Byzantine antiquarianism
was inspired by the ancient monuments themselves, because they continued to distinguish old
cities even after their former privileges had been abolished by Byzantine administration. Oth-
er Byzantine settlements elsewhere in Anatolia lacked ancient monuments and displayed no
antiquarian tendencies. Conversely, a focus on the preservation of ancient cityscapes may also
explain why western Asia Minor, despite being the most urbanised part of the region, did not
develop a Byzantine architectural style of its own.
Much late antique building activity at Rome appears to have been informed by a de-
sire to preserve and emulate the city’s great past and may thus be termed antiquarian.1
Antiquarian attitudes could be entertained by pagans and Christians alike, and when
Constantine established his new capital at Byzantium, he imitated ancient Rome and
had Constantinople fitted out with a capitol and with ancient statues.2 However, in
the fifth and sixth centuries, during the early Byzantine period, rapid growth and
many new buildings marginalized the late antique beginnings of Constantinople and
whatever remained of ancient Byzantium.3 The Byzantine buildings established a new
look that no longer depended on ancient monuments and their imitation.4 Thus, as
opposed to late antique Rome, antiquarianism would not appear to have played an
important part in the urban development of early Byzantine Constantinople.
However, some provincial cities in western Asia Minor preserved their ancient
cityscapes throughout the early Byzantine period and bear witness to the fact that

I The term antiquarianism’ is here and in the following employed to describe such a desire to preserve
and emulate the ancient past during the early Bzantine period. Cf. Rojas (2013); Wellington Gahtan/
Pegazzano (2015). For antiquarian attitudes in late antique Rome see Behrwald (2009); Behrwald/
Witschel (2012).

2 Leppin (2006); Grig/Kelly (2012); Bassett (2014); Puech (2016).

3 Mango (1990); Berger (2010).

4 Krautheimer (1984); Curcic (2010); Bassett (2015), pp. 260-261.