The Last Loss of Greco-Roman Art

The famous statues which decorated the public squares of Constantinople. Conniatis made a list of them at the end of his history. To a highly educated man like Nikitas, these statues were priceless works of art. The craftsmanship which brought humans and animals to astonishing life had been lost long ago. But we should caution against those who talk about this as a crime against humanity. Just because this was the last loss of great antique art does not make it any more tragic than those beautiful sculptures toppled by other armies across time.