Download Kurz_DeLaine, case study of Ostia, ephesos, lepcis magna[1]

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.