The "Art" of Politics

Appreciation of so-called "works of art" in antiquity was based on more than art-historical factors. Many were potent symbols of civic, religious, and cultural identity. Thus their movements rarely went unnoticed. Greek and Latin authors record over 50 examples of the restitution of previously confiscated artifacts, including some of the most famous artworks of classical antiquity. These were returned to their original owners for diverse reasons—including political calculation, religious piety, popular outcry, and, apparently, the economics of tourism—providing an alternative lens through which to interrogate the prevailing aesthetic frameworks of ancient and modern art histories.