The statue habit was a defining characteristic of Classical cities, and its demise in Late Antiqu... more The statue habit was a defining characteristic of Classical cities, and its demise in Late Antiquity has recently attracted scholarly attention. This article analyzes this process in the city of Rome, charting the decline and abandonment of the practice of setting up free-standing statues between the end of the 3rd c. and the mid 7th c. CE. Focusing on the epigraphic evidence for new dedications, it discusses the nature of the habit in terms of its differences from and continuities with earlier periods. The quantitative evolution of the habit suggests that its end was associated with deeper transformations. The final section examines the broader significance of setting up statues in Late Antique Rome, arguing that the decline of the statue habit must be understood in the context of a new statue culture that saw statue dedications in an antiquarian light, rather than as part of an organic honorific language.
Les honneurs civiques et la participation politique dans l'Italie tardo-antique Durant toute la p... more Les honneurs civiques et la participation politique dans l'Italie tardo-antique Durant toute la période antique tardive, les honneurs civiques traditionnels sont restés un élément important de la vie des cités. Les conseils municipaux, les magistrats et tous ceux qui avaient part à la vie politique décernaient une très grande variété de distinctions afin d'établir et de consolider leurs relations avec les notables locaux et les sénateurs, potentiels patrons. Ces distinctions comprenaient des titres, des acclamations, des représentations peintes ou sculptées. Le phénomène est particulièrement observable en Italie, car la présence d'une puissante élite impériale et une longue tradition de culture urbaine y jouaient un rôle important dans la vie politique et sociale. La contribution analyse la diversité des situations régionales qui caractérise la culture des honneurs civiques en Italie, de même que l'évolution du phénomène dans le temps. Le peuple, dans ses diverses composantes, tenait une place cruciale dans ce phénomène et dans la vie municipale en général, votant et décernant des honneurs selon ses propres objectifs et ses propres priorités politiques, jouant un rôle parallèle à celui que tenaient les conseils et les magistrats. La vie politique locale dans l'Italie tardo-antique était plus complexe et dynamique qu'on ne l'estime d'ordinaire, en particulier à partir du iv e siècle après J.-C.
El culto imperial ocupa un lugar central en la historiografia sobre la religion romana en la epoc... more El culto imperial ocupa un lugar central en la historiografia sobre la religion romana en la epoca del imperio. A pesar de ello, el ritual central para este culto -la consagracion del emperador muerto como dios - sigue siendo objeto de malos entendidos y controversias entre estudiosos. Este articulo trata de discutir esta cuestion, considerando los limites entre politica y religion en la Roma antigua, y como una dimension estaba inextricablemente ligada a la otra.
Two RomesRome and Constantinople in Late Antiquity, 2012
H ow CAN WE DEFINE THE IMPORTANCE o1= ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES in late antique Rome and Constantinople... more H ow CAN WE DEFINE THE IMPORTANCE o1= ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES in late antique Rome and Constantinople? To state that houses are a significant component of any cityscape is nothing more than a truism. The dwellings of the rich and poor are as essential as streets, public monuments, and official buildings in defining the image ofa city. 1 This is particularly true in the case of ancient Rome, where powerful house owners and their clients met daily for the morning ritual of salutatio, and where the house of the first citizen came to ...
Memory played a crucial role in the shaping of Late Roman political consciousness and identity. T... more Memory played a crucial role in the shaping of Late Roman political consciousness and identity. This is clear in the case of the city of Rome, where political, religious, and social transformations affected the way that the city’s inhabitants defined their relationship between themselves and with the imperial court. The area of the forum Romanum was intimately related to Rome’s history, and was therefore particularly appropriate for the construction of different ‘Roman memories’. The aim of this article is to discuss how the monuments built or restored in this area helped to define these memories and turn the past into a political argument.
The aim of this book – and of the conference on which it was based – is to document and discuss t... more The aim of this book – and of the conference on which it was based – is to document and discuss the diversity and wealth of the epigraphic cultures of Late Antiquity. It is an attempt at understanding the various political, cultural and religious structures that characterized this period, and the special place occupied by inscriptions in the societies that produced and lived with them. Our goal is, therefore, to put these inscribed artefacts in their wider sociopolitical and physical contexts, illustrating the ways in which monuments and texts were related to the world around them. The chapters that follow propose to explore the geographic and typological diversity of late antique epigraphy as well as the many textual forms and material supports through which these epigraphic practices have come down to us. One of the central arguments pursued here is that, although marked by essential continuities, late antique epigraphy differed from that of previous periods in many important way...
and Keywords The annona was the imperial service responsible for overseeing the supply of key foo... more and Keywords The annona was the imperial service responsible for overseeing the supply of key food items to the city of Rome and the army. Primarily concerned with grain, the service became increasingly involved in the provisioning of other commodities, such as olive oil, wine, and pork. By the end of the 3rd century, the annona was a complex machinery involving private and public agents in different parts of the empire, overseen by the prefect of the annona, based in Rome. The operation of this system is documented in literary texts, administrative documents such as papyri and writing tablets, inscriptions, and a rich archaeological record, in Rome and in the provinces. However, the precise working of the system and the degree to which it was controlled by the Roman state remain open to debate. The annona was also involved in the supply of the army, especially with regards to provisions brought from distant producing centres. During the later empire, the system became more centralised, being overseen by the praetorian prefecture.
The statue habit was a defining characteristic of Classical cities, and its demise in Late Antiqu... more The statue habit was a defining characteristic of Classical cities, and its demise in Late Antiquity has recently attracted scholarly attention. This article analyzes this process in the city of Rome, charting the decline and abandonment of the practice of setting up free-standing statues between the end of the 3rd c. and the mid 7th c. CE. Focusing on the epigraphic evidence for new dedications, it discusses the nature of the habit in terms of its differences from and continuities with earlier periods. The quantitative evolution of the habit suggests that its end was associated with deeper transformations. The final section examines the broader significance of setting up statues in Late Antique Rome, arguing that the decline of the statue habit must be understood in the context of a new statue culture that saw statue dedications in an antiquarian light, rather than as part of an organic honorific language.
Les honneurs civiques et la participation politique dans l'Italie tardo-antique Durant toute la p... more Les honneurs civiques et la participation politique dans l'Italie tardo-antique Durant toute la période antique tardive, les honneurs civiques traditionnels sont restés un élément important de la vie des cités. Les conseils municipaux, les magistrats et tous ceux qui avaient part à la vie politique décernaient une très grande variété de distinctions afin d'établir et de consolider leurs relations avec les notables locaux et les sénateurs, potentiels patrons. Ces distinctions comprenaient des titres, des acclamations, des représentations peintes ou sculptées. Le phénomène est particulièrement observable en Italie, car la présence d'une puissante élite impériale et une longue tradition de culture urbaine y jouaient un rôle important dans la vie politique et sociale. La contribution analyse la diversité des situations régionales qui caractérise la culture des honneurs civiques en Italie, de même que l'évolution du phénomène dans le temps. Le peuple, dans ses diverses composantes, tenait une place cruciale dans ce phénomène et dans la vie municipale en général, votant et décernant des honneurs selon ses propres objectifs et ses propres priorités politiques, jouant un rôle parallèle à celui que tenaient les conseils et les magistrats. La vie politique locale dans l'Italie tardo-antique était plus complexe et dynamique qu'on ne l'estime d'ordinaire, en particulier à partir du iv e siècle après J.-C.
El culto imperial ocupa un lugar central en la historiografia sobre la religion romana en la epoc... more El culto imperial ocupa un lugar central en la historiografia sobre la religion romana en la epoca del imperio. A pesar de ello, el ritual central para este culto -la consagracion del emperador muerto como dios - sigue siendo objeto de malos entendidos y controversias entre estudiosos. Este articulo trata de discutir esta cuestion, considerando los limites entre politica y religion en la Roma antigua, y como una dimension estaba inextricablemente ligada a la otra.
Two RomesRome and Constantinople in Late Antiquity, 2012
H ow CAN WE DEFINE THE IMPORTANCE o1= ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES in late antique Rome and Constantinople... more H ow CAN WE DEFINE THE IMPORTANCE o1= ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES in late antique Rome and Constantinople? To state that houses are a significant component of any cityscape is nothing more than a truism. The dwellings of the rich and poor are as essential as streets, public monuments, and official buildings in defining the image ofa city. 1 This is particularly true in the case of ancient Rome, where powerful house owners and their clients met daily for the morning ritual of salutatio, and where the house of the first citizen came to ...
Memory played a crucial role in the shaping of Late Roman political consciousness and identity. T... more Memory played a crucial role in the shaping of Late Roman political consciousness and identity. This is clear in the case of the city of Rome, where political, religious, and social transformations affected the way that the city’s inhabitants defined their relationship between themselves and with the imperial court. The area of the forum Romanum was intimately related to Rome’s history, and was therefore particularly appropriate for the construction of different ‘Roman memories’. The aim of this article is to discuss how the monuments built or restored in this area helped to define these memories and turn the past into a political argument.
The aim of this book – and of the conference on which it was based – is to document and discuss t... more The aim of this book – and of the conference on which it was based – is to document and discuss the diversity and wealth of the epigraphic cultures of Late Antiquity. It is an attempt at understanding the various political, cultural and religious structures that characterized this period, and the special place occupied by inscriptions in the societies that produced and lived with them. Our goal is, therefore, to put these inscribed artefacts in their wider sociopolitical and physical contexts, illustrating the ways in which monuments and texts were related to the world around them. The chapters that follow propose to explore the geographic and typological diversity of late antique epigraphy as well as the many textual forms and material supports through which these epigraphic practices have come down to us. One of the central arguments pursued here is that, although marked by essential continuities, late antique epigraphy differed from that of previous periods in many important way...
and Keywords The annona was the imperial service responsible for overseeing the supply of key foo... more and Keywords The annona was the imperial service responsible for overseeing the supply of key food items to the city of Rome and the army. Primarily concerned with grain, the service became increasingly involved in the provisioning of other commodities, such as olive oil, wine, and pork. By the end of the 3rd century, the annona was a complex machinery involving private and public agents in different parts of the empire, overseen by the prefect of the annona, based in Rome. The operation of this system is documented in literary texts, administrative documents such as papyri and writing tablets, inscriptions, and a rich archaeological record, in Rome and in the provinces. However, the precise working of the system and the degree to which it was controlled by the Roman state remain open to debate. The annona was also involved in the supply of the army, especially with regards to provisions brought from distant producing centres. During the later empire, the system became more centralised, being overseen by the praetorian prefecture.
This volume presents an innovative picture of the ancient Mediterranean world. Approaching povert... more This volume presents an innovative picture of the ancient Mediterranean world. Approaching poverty as a multifaceted condition, it examines how different groups were affected by the lack of access to symbolic, cultural and social – as well as economic – capital.
Collecting a wide range of studies by an international team of experts, it presents a diverse and complex analysis of life in antiquity, from the archaic to the late antique period. The sections on Greece, Rome, and Late Antiquity offer in-depth studies of ancient life, integrating analysis of socio-economic dynamics and cultural and discursive strategies that shaped this crucial element of ancient (and modern) societies. Themes like social cohesion and control, exclusion, gender, agency, and identity are explored through the combination of archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence, presenting a rich panorama of Greco-Roman societies and a stimulating collection of new approaches and methodologies for their understanding. The book offers a comprehensive view of the ancient world, analysing different social groups – from wealthy elites to poor peasants and the destitute – and their interactions, in contexts as diverse as Classical Athens and Sparta, imperial Rome, and the late antique towns of Egypt and North Africa.
Poverty in Ancient Greece and Rome: Discourses and Realities is a valuable resource for students and scholars of ancient history, classical literature, and archaeology. In addition, topics covered in the book are of interest to social scientists, scholars of religion, and historians working on poverty and social history in other periods.
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Collecting a wide range of studies by an international team of experts, it presents a diverse and complex analysis of life in antiquity, from the archaic to the late antique period. The sections on Greece, Rome, and Late Antiquity offer in-depth studies of ancient life, integrating analysis of socio-economic dynamics and cultural and discursive strategies that shaped this crucial element of ancient (and modern) societies. Themes like social cohesion and control, exclusion, gender, agency, and identity are explored through the combination of archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence, presenting a rich panorama of Greco-Roman societies and a stimulating collection of new approaches and methodologies for their understanding. The book offers a comprehensive view of the ancient world, analysing different social groups – from wealthy elites to poor peasants and the destitute – and their interactions, in contexts as diverse as Classical Athens and Sparta, imperial Rome, and the late antique towns of Egypt and North Africa.
Poverty in Ancient Greece and Rome: Discourses and Realities is a valuable resource for students and scholars of ancient history, classical literature, and archaeology. In addition, topics covered in the book are of interest to social scientists, scholars of religion, and historians working on poverty and social history in other periods.