Hiding in Plain Sight: Epigraphic Reuse in the Temple-Church at Aphrodisias

Aphrodisias' Temple-Church, originally a Roman-era temple to Aphrodite, was repurposed around 500 CE into a Christian church. During this transformation, ancient inscriptions from the temple and other sites were selectively reused within the new structure. These inscriptions, though legible to educated Greek speakers, held enduring significance for the city's civic identity, emphasizing local elites' connections with Roman rulers. The study reveals that viewing these older texts alongside late antique graffiti in the church underscores shifts in commemorative practices during Late Antiquity, highlighting a democratization of memory in early Christianity. This research approach combines architectural analysis and epigraphic documentation to interpret the layered meanings of reused inscriptions.

Sitz, A. M. (2019). Hiding in Plain Sight: Epigraphic Reuse in the Temple-Church at Aphrodisias. Journal of Late Antiquity, 12(1), 136–168. https://doi.org/10.1353/jla.2019.0006