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The picture shows a detail of the decoration on the south wall, depicting the procession of male martyrs from Theodoric's palace towards Christ enthroned.
The procession of 26 male martyrs leaves from Theodoric's palace. Originally figures were standing in the arcade, presumably members of Theodoric's court. Because this king was Arian, when Ravenna was reconquered as part of the Byzantine empire, these mosaics were altered. The masking of the original figures was not totally successful. Although curtains have replaced the bodies in the arches, still the remains of arms and hands holding the columns of the arcade are visible.
The martyrs are representative, not individualized, figures. The procession is symbolic, conceptual.
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