This article analyses the phenomenon of glass in wall and floor opera sectilia from the Hellenistic period to Late Antiquity. This type of decoration was developed in Alexandria – as testified by archaeological finds – and then spread across the Greco-Roman world. In Rome the art created a backdrop for a series of displays – especially in imperial palaces and elite housing – that spanned the Imperial era. All the great metropolises were graced by it, including the new capital of the East, Constantinople, where it underwent a renewed flowering. This article analyzes the use of glass material mostly as inserts in marble compositions and, more rarely, in wholly vitreous compositions. It reflects upon the meaning of these different decorative products and attempts to interpret their economic, aesthetic, and symbolic implications.

本文分析了从希腊化时期到上古晚期墙地戏教派的玻璃现象。这种装饰是在亚历山大港发展起来的——考古发现证明了这一点——然后传播到希腊罗马世界。在罗马，艺术为跨越帝国时代的一系列展览创造了背景——尤其是在皇宫和精英住宅中。所有伟大的大都市都为它增光添彩，包括东方的新首都君士坦丁堡，它在那里重新开花。本文分析了玻璃材料主要用作大理石组合物中的插入物，很少用于完全玻璃组合物中的使用。它反映了这些不同装饰产品的含义，并试图解释它们的经济、美学和象征意义。