* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Kurz_DeLaine, case study of Ostia, ephesos, lepcis magna[1]
Sino-Roman relations wikipedia , lookup
Alpine regiments of the Roman army wikipedia , lookup
Military of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman army of the late Republic wikipedia , lookup
Travel in Classical antiquity wikipedia , lookup
Food and dining in the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Roman temple wikipedia , lookup
Roman Republican governors of Gaul wikipedia , lookup
Defence-in-depth (Roman military) wikipedia , lookup
Ancient Roman architecture wikipedia , lookup
Roman historiography wikipedia , lookup
Early Roman army wikipedia , lookup
Slovakia in the Roman era wikipedia , lookup
Culture of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Education in ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman agriculture wikipedia , lookup
Wales in the Roman era wikipedia , lookup
Roman funerary practices wikipedia , lookup
Roman economy wikipedia , lookup
Joseph Kurz Imperial Cities 9/16/2010 Janet DeLaine, Between Concept and Reality: Case Studies in the Development of Roman Cities in the Mediterranean. In J. Marcus and J.A. Sabloff, eds., The Ancient City: New Perspectives on Urbanism in the Old and New World (2008) DeLaine examines three Roman harbor-cities– the Roman colony of Ostia, the Greek city of Ephesos, and the Phoenician settlement of Lepcis Magna – in order to trace the transformation of these sites into recognizably ‘Roman’ cities. She in turn considers the significance of mythical foundation, the physical shape of the cities, and the politico-economic nexus that fueled each city’s transformation into a Roman city. DeLaine begins by showing how sacred monuments and processions played a major role in the landscapes of Ephesus and Ostia. Before these areas underwent intensive Roman urbanization, local foundational cults and ‘historical sites’ filled the landscapes of these sites. DeLaine concludes that these sites presented a challenge to Roman builders whose construction plans had to take the accommodation of these earlier sites into account. Next DeLaine considers the physical transformation of the sites. She notes that the considerable political and commercial ties of these cities within the Mediterranean paved the way for adoption of a more Roman cultural vision of the city, a vision that was spearheaded by Augustus’ building program. The circumstances of construction vary, with some projects bearing the stamp of local elites while others were clearly funded by imperial largesse (or both). What Delaine finds significant is that a conceptual model begins to take shape, which seemed to indicate what sorts of buildings were appropriate for the city not only in function but also in the status they conferred upon the city. These buildings included temples to Roman gods and emperors, theatres, baths, and fora. Construction was largely brought about by the effort of local individuals working within the Roman imperial system. DeLaine further observes that construction took on a competitive character as cities strove to curry imperial favor; though less pronounced at Ostia, this phenomenon is especially evident in Ephesus and Lepcis Magna. In her final argument, DeLaine considers the costs and consequences of these projects. She observes that the building effort of local magnates inevitably looked to the model of Rome itself. Yet attempts to emulate the scale and grandeur of the imperial capital would have pushed many cities beyond their means. She concludes that the cost was largely borne by local individuals with strong Roman ties, or at times the emperor himself. Despite the strain building imposed upon communities and individuals, imperial building continued to transform a wide variety of landscapes. This article is well written and thoughtful. One of DeLaine’s strengths is her synthetic approach to the problem, instead of handling each city as an individual case study and as another component in a ‘laundry list.’ This method of organization better lends itself to comparative analysis. Her choice of sites is also well founded. She considers three well documented commercial harbors that encompassed a broad sweep of the Mediterranean. Additionally, the choice of an Italian site, located just 20 miles from the imperial capital, demonstrates the pervasiveness of the Roman civic building habit, without falling into the black hole that is Rome. However, her analysis of these sites is incomplete. Most noticeably, her section about mythical and legendary construction remains silent about Lepcis Magna. Scholars are naturally at the mercy of their sources but DeLaine’s inability to assess all three sites in the early stages of her argument undermines the impact of the article as a whole. Yet overall, this is a well-reasoned and cogent work. DeLaine uses the material available to flesh out tensions between local and imperial agendas and how they affected the formation and development of the Roman model of civic building.