Imperial Patronage of Marble Columns between the Principate and Late Antiquity

The supply of building materials – and marble in particular - is one of the more noteworthy aspects of the ancient architectural yard. In the period of the Principate, many transformations occur in the production system of imperial marble quarries, with the involvement of several administrative and artisanal figures. According to juridical and economic reasons, marble provisions are reserved for Palatine needs and, in particular, the commission of marble columns becomes a specific imperial prerogative. Literary and archeological sources attest that this practice lasts in late antiquity, when the manufacture and distribution of marble columns continue to be in direct connection to emperor’s and high-status individuals’ patronage.