▁by ▁the ▁less ▁wealth y ▁throughout ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Greek ▁models , ▁an ▁active ▁ide ological ▁turning ▁against ▁what ▁classical ▁styles ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁represent , ▁and ▁a ▁deliber ate ▁preference ▁for ▁seeing ▁the ▁world ▁simply ▁and ▁explo iting ▁the ▁express ive ▁possibilities ▁that ▁a ▁simpler ▁style ▁gave . ▁The ▁sculpt ors ▁of ▁Const antine ' s ▁time ▁were ▁more ▁interested ▁in ▁symbol ism : ▁both ▁symbol ism ▁for ▁religion ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁symbol ism ▁for ▁history . ▁One ▁factor ▁that ▁cannot ▁be ▁responsible , ▁as ▁the ▁date ▁and ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁Ven ice ▁Port rait ▁of ▁the ▁Four ▁T etr arch s ▁show , ▁is ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁to ▁official ▁support , ▁as ▁the ▁changes ▁pred ated ▁that . ▁ ▁The ▁sty list ic ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁earlier ▁arch es ▁of ▁Tit us ▁and ▁Sept im ius ▁Sever us , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁sp olia ▁from ▁the ▁times ▁of ▁other ▁earlier ▁em per ors ▁may ▁be ▁considered ▁a ▁deliber ate ▁t ribute ▁to ▁Roman ▁history . ▁ ▁Icon ography ▁The ▁arch ▁is ▁heavily ▁decor ated ▁with ▁parts ▁of ▁older ▁monuments , ▁which ▁assume ▁a ▁new ▁meaning ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁Constantin ian ▁building . ▁As ▁it ▁celebr ates ▁the ▁victory ▁of ▁Const antine , ▁the ▁new ▁" histor ic " ▁fr ie zes ▁illustr ating ▁his ▁campaign ▁in ▁Italy ▁convey ▁the ▁central ▁meaning : ▁the ▁pra ise ▁of ▁the ▁em peror , ▁both ▁in ▁battle ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁civil ian ▁duties . ▁The ▁other ▁imag ery