Marble

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Marble is a metamorphic rock, which is commonly used in sculpting and buildings. Its name derives from the Ancient Greek μάρμαρος (marmaros), meaning "resplendent stone".

History

Ancient Greece

Concept art of a marble workshop in Paros by Hugo Puzzuoli

In the 5th century BCE, statues and buildings using marble were a common sight in Greece, and multiple marble quarries existed in the known Greek world. Chief among these was Mt. Pentelikos Marble Quarry in Attika, and its famous, white Pentelic marble was used in the construction of Athens, particularly the Akropolis. Other notable quarries were Naxos' quarry on Marble Bay, the Aliki Quarry on Thasos, and Paros Island's quarry. In addition to these, Andros was regarded by the historian Herodotos as the source of "some of the most expensive marble in the world", and the island of Skyros was regarded famous both for its goats as well as marble quarries.

Marble used for statues was brought to workshops, like the Marble Workshop in Athens' so-called Marble Quarter. Some, like the Athenian sculptor Phidias, were considered to be especially good at working with the material. While most marble produced and used was pale, even white, Tainaros in southern Lakonia was famous for its red and black marble.

Hellenistic Egypt

Under the reign of the Ptolemies, marble in Egypt was appreciated by native Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans alike. Of special note was the city of Cyrene in Libya, bedecked in marble.

Roman Cyrene

After the Temple of Zeus in Cyrene was destroyed in the Jewish rebellion of 115 CE, Emperor Hadrian ordered it rebuilt. However, the new plans did not include the outer portico and instead the columns were restored in Corinthian marble, though Hadrian also commissioned a 12-meter tall marble statue of Zeus for the interior, hoping it would rival the Statue of Zeus in Olympia.

Medieval England

A Book of Knowledge at a work station

In the 9th century, marble was used for the back and base of lecterns that held a Book of Knowledge, a valuable illuminated manuscript containing information on particular combat skills. The Raven Clan Viking Eivor Varinsdottir frequently found these lecterns in churches, forts, or hidden underground rooms throughout her journeys across Norway, England, Central Europe, Ireland, Francia, and in her visions of Odin's genetic memories in Svartálfaheimr.

Two hundred years later, and on a far larger scale, the circular Temple Church was built in 1185 in Westminster with marble columns. The place was used by the early British Templars both as a bank and a place to initiate new members.

Renaissance

Monteriggioni statuettes: Jupiter and Minerva

Marble's value continued well into the Renaissance. Marble statues of Greek gods or their Roman counterparts, both from antiquity as well as of contemporary design, were exempt from this treatment, as many figures decorated cities like Florence and Rome. However, Italian artists often freely tore marble off any ruined buildings from the Roman Empire to improve the look of their own architecture projects.

Even when not stolen, marble was still used on a number of buildings throughout the country. Of particular note was the Campanile di Giotto in Florence, a bell-tower finished in 1359 that was attached to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and was famous for using white marble from Carrara, red marble from Siena, and green marble from Prato. In Romagna, Duke Niccolò III d'Este's summer home the Delizia di Belriguardo was finally completed in 1435 after continual additions through the years, among which were marble loggias. Within the town of Monteriggioni, a marble staircase ruled the Villa Auditore's main hall, and a collection of small marble statuettes of Roman deities were scattered within the city limits.

Across the Mediterranean Sea in Central Asia, Constantinople's Imperial District was known for its towering marble buildings, including the Hagia Sophia. Marble's usage in the city was not restricted to surface buildings, either, as shown by the Yerebatan Cistern. A former basilica, it had been converted into an underground cistern in the 6th century CE, yet still kept its hundreds of marble columns for internal support.

Modern era

In 1661, King Louis XIII of France ordered the construction of the Palace of Versailles as his new place of residence and legislative center from which to run the country. Among its opulent attractions was a main courtyard made of marble.

In 1804, American roadworkers uncovered British Army Major General Edward Braddock's remains, where it had been buried under the road after the failed Braddock Expedition in 1755 out of fear the body would be desecrated. Once the body was exhumed, it was relocated to Fort Necessity National Battlefield and marked with a marble monument.

In 1827, King George IV of the United Kingdom hired the architect John Nash to upgrade the house that would become Buckingham Palace. Among Nash's many improvements were expanded north and south wings, and a large Marble Arch in the courtyard, though his plans quickly went overbudget and and he was fired two years later..

In 1830, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire had the temple Harmandir Sahib decorated with marble and gold leaf, and the temple was afterwards known also as the "Golden Temple".

Gallery

Overview of the Fortified Marble Quarry on Paros Island

A view of the quarry on the Isle of Salamis, Attika

A marble statue of the god Apollo made in 5th century BCE

A painted marble relief featuring Asklepios, Hygieia, and snakes

The Terrace of the Lions on Delos

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
  • The Da Vinci Disappearance (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
  • The Lost Archive (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed III (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Unity (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Origins
• Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
• Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
  • River Raids
  • Wrath of the Druids
  • The Siege of Paris
  • Dawn of Ragnarök
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage