Early Roman Research Articles

Measuring women's influence on Roman military life: using GIS on published excavation reports from the German frontier

This article outlines the approaches used in the Australian Research Council funded project, 'Engendering Roman Spaces', and summarises some of the results. The project investigates the distribution of artefacts and artefact assemblages and the presence, activities and status of women and children within Roman military forts. It uses data from published excavation reports of 1st- and 2nd-century AD Roman military sites on the German frontier. It includes excavation reports from throughout the 20th century, which have varying levels of comprehensiveness. The relevant data from these excavation reports are digitised and manipulated, through a series of software packages, and then classified according to gender and function, so that spatial distribution patterns of people's activities can be visualised and analysed using GIS. Interpretations of these data are indicating that women played a greater role in military life in the early Roman Empire than has previously been acknowledged.

HELLENİSTİK-ROMA DÖNEMİ ANADOLU MİMARLIĞINDA BEZEMELİ KAİDELER

The decorated column bases in Hellenistic-Roman Architecture in Anatolia The act of including the column bases into the architectural decoration programme is one of the Attic characteristics emerged for the first time at the Anatolian Architecture of Hellenistic Period. This execution starting with Apollon Temple of Didyma and Artemis Temple of Sardes and in a different way at the temples which were attributed to Hermogenes lasted in the Early Roman Period and later on. While this treatment is seen mostly on the temples all of which are almost prestigious buildings with their monumental sizes and decorations in the Hellenistic Period, the entrance gates and the honorific monuments were preferred as well from the Early Roman Period. The decorated bases were applied firstly at the important temples and the buildings with different functions in Roman Imperial Period. However, to the contrary, the percentage of the execution is fairly limited among the intensive building activity of the Imperial Period. As obviously observed at the monumental temples of which the architectural decoration were never completed because of the sizes, the challenging works caused by the application of the decorated bases at the colossal building in terms of time and finance can be accepted as the most important reason for the limited choices in this period. In this study, the buildings which have decorated bases and the general tendencies with the framework of Architecture of Hellenistic and Roman Periods in Anatolia were evaluated on the basic points

Cirencester and the Cotswolds: the Early Roman evolution of a town and rural landscape

Cirencester and the Cotswolds: the Early Roman evolution of a town and rural landscape

The Nauta corporation in early Roman Gaul : The character of local networks shown by the appointment patrons

The Nauta corporation in early Roman Gaul : The character of local networks shown by the appointment patrons

REVIEWS: A NEW TREATMENT ON SETTLEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY IN SW FINLAND

Henrik Asplund. Kymittae. Sites, Centrality and Long-Term Settlement Change in the Kemionsaari Region in SW Finland. (Turun Yliopiston julkaisuja/Annales Universitatis Turkuensis. Sarja--Ser. B osa--Tom. 312. Humaniora.) Turku, 2008. 584 pp. Archaeological studies in Finland were recently supplemented by a comprehensive doctoral thesis on settlement archaeology in the Kemionsaari region, written by Henrik Asplund (University of Turku). This region is located in south-westernmost corner of Finland and covers both the island of Kemionsaari, which was called Kymittae in early written sources, and some neighbouring municipalities on Finnish mainland. Archaeological research of the area was already started in the late 19th century; yet the most significant fieldwork belongs to the recent decades and was mostly carried out by the author. The author himself labels his main research method as settlement-archaeological. Although this branch of archaeology is already known for one hundred years, it has strongly altered and developed during this time and the term itself is rather complex (see more Lang 2006). Settlement archaeological research has had remarkable peculiarities both in different countries and in different times; its nature (e.g. research topics and questions) depends on local conditions (achievements of earlier research, specifics of archaeological material) as well as on general development of archaeological theory (what are the questions to be answered). Therefore the settlement-archaeological research in south-western Finland cannot be similar to, and use the same methods as, that in northern Finland, for instance, not speaking of more distant areas. In the same way this research in south-western Finland in the early 21st century cannot follow the same pattern and ask the same questions as the corresponding research in the same area 30 years ago (when the first modern settlement-archaeological project was carried out in Finland, see Schauman-Lonnquist et al. 1986; Uino 1986; Schauman-Lonnquist 1988). It is important to underline that this settlement-archaeological research method used by Asplund in his thesis is original and partly developed by himself on the basis of earlier studies both in south-western Finland and neighbouring countries (particularly in Scandinavia and Estonia). The text of the book is clear, written in style adequate for archaeology, easy to read and understand. The structure of the treatment is well-grounded and logical; it starts from the introduction into the topic and research area and the presentation of the author's theoretical framework, then continues with the presentation of archaeological material in chronological order, and then reaches the discussion of many particular problems concerning the development of settlement, land use, material culture and society. The main emphasis is on the Bronze Age and particularly on the Early Iron Age, which is understandable due to the available material and the author's own research interests. The main objective has been defined as the explanation of causes for the differences between the Finnish archipelago and neighbouring mainland, particularly regarding the Iron Age. Yet, there are dozens and dozens of other questions, of both bigger and smaller scale, presented in the whole text in corresponding chapters (e.g. the specifics and problematics of archaeological sites, the causes of continuity and discontinuity in archaeological record, man-and-environment relationships through prehistory, forms of social organization in different periods, development of land use, etc.). As much as possible in the light of the current state of research, these questions have also been answered by the author. As to the main objective mentioned above, the settlement development followed approximately the same paths both on the island of Kemionsaari and neighbouring parts of mainland until the early Roman Iron Age. Then the finds, particularly stone graves (cairns), seem to disappear in the archipelago; the cairns did not occur again there before the Late Iron Age. …

Verlamio(n), Verulamium and St Albans: A Tale of Three Cities?

The sites of the Late Iron Age 'oppidum' and Roman 'municipium' of Verulamium and that of St Albans Abbey, on higher ground across the river Ver to the east, have been the subject of much antiquarian and archaeological research. Linking them is the enigmatic figure of the elusive Alban, apparently tried in Verulamium and done to death in its environs under the Severans, or, if you prefer another version of the record, the Tetrarchy. Offa of Mercia, according to Matthew Paris, found the saint's bones and a belief in the precise location of the place of his martyrdom, burial, commemorative shrine, or perhaps all three appears to be responsible for the positioning of his Late Saxon monastery, which dominated and controlled its dependency of St Albans, until dissolution by a less sympathetic monarch in 1539. In the eighteenth century, Stukeley mapped the walls and ditches of 'Verolanium Antiquum', as well as the enclosed fields it now contained, while investigators within the Abbey church opened the lead coffin of Humphrey of Gloucester and tasted the liquids within. Victorian and Edwardian scholars dug in the Roman city, discovering the theatre and examining the area of St Michael's, which now appears to contain the early Roman nucleus. Their contemporaries, searching for the sequence of buildings within the Abbey, recorded the church, both above and below ground, and explored the extensive monastic

Pragtvognen fra Fredbjerg

Pragtvognen fra Fredbjerg

Late Hellenistic and Early Roman Invention and Innovation: The Case of Lead-Glazed Pottery

The western production of lead-glazed pottery began in Asia Minor during the first century B.C.E. Examining this topic offers insights into invention and innovation in a period frequently dismissed as technologically stagnant and invites questions about why lead-glazed pottery did not come into general use in Europe until the Medieval period. The identification of this pottery with the rhosica vasa mentioned by Cicero and Athenaeus highlights difficulties in reconciling documentary sources with material culture. Lead-glazed pottery is discussed in terms of chronology, function, and production technology. Contemporaneous developments in glass and metalwork suggest cognitive synchronization among workers in different materials. The trajectory of invention, innovation, and diffusion of lead-glazed pottery is compared with that of other Greek and Roman technologies.

Nation, empire, decline: studies in rhetorical continuity from the Romans to the modern era

The often overlapping discourses of nationalism and imperialism, along with related ideas of social decline, have been central in 19th- and 20th-century Anglo-European views of the world. This book offers four readings of Latin literary texts to show that the templates for these 'modern' discourses were forged in their essentials by the early Roman imperial period. Each chapter follows the relevant rhetorical thread in works of Horace, Tacitus or Juvenal, comparing their strategies with the defining structures of modern nationalist or colonialist discourses. General rhetorical principles can be discerned, remarkably persistent across time and circumstances. Classicists will find something new in an approach that systematically analyses the rhetorical strategies that underlie Roman prototypes of these discourses while demonstrating how closely later incarnations follow them.

“Holy Garbage”: A Quantitative Study of the City-Dump of Early Roman Jerusalem

The chance discovery of an Early Roman city dump (1st century CE) in Jerusalem has yielded for the first time ever quantitative data on garbage components that introduce us to the mundane daily life Jerusalemites led and the kind of animals that were featured in their diet. Most of the garbage consists of pottery shards, all common tableware, while prestige objects are entirely absent. Other significant garbage components include numerous fragments of cooking ovens, wall plaster, animal bones and plant remains. Of the pottery vessels, cooking pots are the most abundant type. Most of the refuse turns out to be “household garbage” originating in the domestic areas of the city, while large numbers of cooking pots may point to the presence of pilgrims. Significantly, the faunal assemblage, which is dominated by kosher species and the clear absence of pigs, set Jerusalem during its peak historical period apart from all other contemporaneous Roman urban centers.

A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War. By Gary Forsythe. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2005. Pp. [xvi] + 400. $45.00 (cloth).

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewA Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War. By Gary Forsythe. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2005. Pp. [xvi] + 400. $45.00 (cloth).T. P. WisemanT. P. WisemanUniversity of Exeter Search for more articles by this author University of ExeterPDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Classical Philology Volume 102, Number 2April 2007 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/523742 Views: 38Total views on this site Permission to reprint a review in this section may be obtained only from the author.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Appearance of Health:<br/>The Symbolic Construction of the Healthy Body through Urban Cemetery Evidence from Late Iron Age and Early Roman Britain

The Appearance of Health:<br/>The Symbolic Construction of the Healthy Body through Urban Cemetery Evidence from Late Iron Age and Early Roman Britain

TRACING THE RESOURCES OF IRON WORKING AT ANCIENT SAGALASSOS (SOUTH‐WEST TURKEY): A COMBINED LEAD AND STRONTIUM ISOTOPE STUDY ON IRON ARTEFACTS AND ORES*

Lead and strontium isotope analyses were performed by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) on Roman to Byzantine iron artefacts and iron ores from the territory of ancient Sagalassos (south‐west Turkey), to evaluate Pb and Sr isotopes for provenance determination of ores for local iron production. It can be demonstrated that for early Roman artefacts and hematite iron ore processed in early Roman times from Sagalassos proper, as well as for magnetite placer sands and early Byzantine raw iron from the territory of the city, Sr isotopes are much less ambiguous than Pb isotopes in providing clearly coherent signatures for ore and related iron objects. Late Roman iron objects were produced from iron ores that as yet remain unidentified. Early Byzantine iron artefacts display more scatter in both their Pb and Sr isotope signatures, indicating that many different ore sources may have been used. Our study demonstrates that iron objects can be precisely analysed for their Sr isotopic composition, which, compared to Pb isotopes, appears to be a much more powerful tool for distinguishing between chronological groups and determining the provenance of raw materials.

The mirror of the self: sexuality, self-knowledge, and the gaze in the early Roman Empire

The mirror of the self: sexuality, self-knowledge, and the gaze in the early Roman Empire

Plagues, Priests, and Demons: Sacred Narratives and the Rise of Christianity in the Old World and the New. By Daniel T. Reff. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Pp. xiii, 290. Illustrations. Maps. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $50.00 cloth; $21.99 paper.

Reviewed by: Plagues, Priests, and Demons: Sacred Narratives and the Rise of Christianity in the Old World and the New Cynthia Radding Plagues, Priests, and Demons: Sacred Narratives and the Rise of Christianity in the Old World and the New. By Daniel T. Reff. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Pp. xiii, 290. Illustrations. Maps. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $50.00 cloth; $21.99 paper. This book offers the reader an engaging synthesis of "the rise of Christianity" in the comparative framework of two widely varying time periods and geographical regions. Daniel Reff provides a thematic point of entry into ancient and early medieval European history in combination with colonial Latin American history on one important theme: the development of Catholic missions directed to indigenous peoples in northern New Spain (Mexico). His central arguments establish the conditions of epidemic disease in the Mediterranean world and European mainland in the first millennium of the Common Era, paralleled by the demographic crises of early conquest Ibero-America that created the scenario for Christian evangelization. Secondly, Reff compares the narratives of early Christian writings and Jesuit missionary accounts to show that sixteenth- and seventeenth-century clerics deliberately emulated ancient Christian texts in order to bolster the legitimacy of their New World missions. This dual approach offers a novel text for discussion, and the varied secondary sources provide students and scholars alike with an informative and challenging bibliography. The brevity of the synthesis, however, does not allow the author to develop as fully as he might have either the narrative exegesis or the historical complexities of his subject. Furthermore, the paucity of citations from recent Mexican scholarship in archaeology and ethno-history for northwestern New Spain reflects missed opportunities to rethink some of the assumptions repeated in this study concerning transculturation, cultural responses to disease, and the power struggles inherent in the religious conquests of early Roman Catholicism and the Spanish-American colonies. Several points stand out for further discussion: Daniel Reff's suggestion that mortality rates among Christians was significantly lower than among pagans during the epidemics of late antiquity; his comparison of the Aztec and Roman empires, and the scant attention paid to the economic life and internal governance of the Jesuit missions of New Spain, in which the Indian cabildo played a major role. Similarly, Reff's history minimizes the violence of early conquest encounters through the prolonged Mixton and Chichimec wars of sixteenth-century northern Mexico as well as the destructive impact of forced labor drafts and the economic imbalances between subsistence and surplus production in the mission communities. The structure of his study, combining substantive historical events with the literary analysis of sacred narratives, raises intriguing questions concerning the methodology for interpreting different belief systems over time and space: how do we combine archaeological, historical and ethnographic evidences in ways that are not anachronistic or simplified? [End Page 494] Reff makes ample use of illustrative passages from the principal texts that inform his study, particularly Andrés Pérez de Ribas, Triunfos de Nuestra Santa Fé, and Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, Conquista espiritual, supplemented by scholarly translations of early Christian writings and archival citations to the Jesuits' annual reports—the latter deposited in the Mexico City, Archivo General de la Nación. He argues, interestingly, that seventeenth-century Jesuit missionaries in New Spain had more in common intellectually and theologically with early Catholic teachings, concerning Satan and the origins of sin, than with the comparatively harsher doctrines of the late Middle Ages and Counter-Reformation. Nevertheless, Jesuits repeatedly condemned native shamans as sorcerers and partners with the devil. Reff's conclusions underscore a basic paradox, namely that if, indeed, disease played a major role in the rise of Christianity in the Old World and the New, it was not explicitly acknowledged in the narratives of either period. This book opens a window to promising pathways in comparative history, leading us back to the sources that informed this study and provoking new questions for research and discussion concerning the intersections of intellectual and social history, agency, and the disjunctions of colonial conquests. Cynthia Radding University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Copyright © 2007 Academy of American Franciscan History ...

Representing Agrippina: Constructions of Female Power in the Early Roman Empire by Judith Ginsburg

116 BOOK REVIEWS highlyreadable,mercifully jargon-free and unencumbered bylengthy footnotes.G. is, in general,admirablyscepticalin dealing with his ancientsources (thediscussion ofevidence fortheso-calledcarmina convivalia in theIntroduction, forinstance,is a model ofscrupulous care,and will offer an interesting counter-blast to Thomas Habinek's recently-published TheWorldofRomanSong2-forwhich see thereviews by D. Feeneyand J.Katz in JRS96 (2006) 240-2,and J.Zetzel in CJ102 (2006) 88-91). G. is equally sensitiveto thecomplexitiesof interactionbetween literatureand criticism.While one may find mattersof detail to quibble with,the overarchingargumentis both important and persuasive,and studentsofRepublicanliterature will findthe volume equally valuable forits nuanced and stimulating readingsoflateRepublicantextsand theirintertextual relations. MONICA R. GALE Trinity College, Dublin 2JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press,2005. Representing Agrippina: Constructions ofFemale PowerintheEarly Roman Empire. ByJUDITH GINSBURG. Oxfordand New York:OxfordUniversity Press,2005.Pp. 160.Cloth,$45.00.ISBN 0-19-518141-7. AgrippinatheYoungerhas been an intriguing subjectforhistoriansoftheearlyRomanEmpirefromthetimeofTacitustoourown . A powerfulwoman in a world controlledby men, the sister,wife and mother ofCaligula,Claudius and Nerorespectively, shehas generallybeen viewed as manipulativeand ruthless.Yet, as Anthony Barrett' notedinhisrecent biography,"The actualrecord... suggests verystrongly thatbothancientand modernwritersoffer a lop-sided portrait."Barrettrevised thatportraitby illuminatingAgrippina's accomplishments withinthecontextoftheopportunities available to her.In Representing Agrippina, JudithGinsburghas shiftedattention totheevidenceitself, askingwhyand how thepositiveimagesofthe materialevidence and Agrippina's contrasting negative characterization in ancientwritersdeveloped, and what the implicationsof Agrippina: Sex,PowerandPoliticsintheEarlyRomanEmpire (New Haven, 1996) X111ii. BOOK REVIEWS 117 theserepresentations mightbe. To answerthesequestions,G. examines theliterary evidence,thevisual portrayals and rhetorical stereotypesinthreeseparatechapters .Bythebook's end,thereadercansee how thosewriting about Agrippina,especiallyTacitus,conflatedher actionswiththestereotypes ofschemingwomen,partlyto denigrate overly-ambitious women and partlyto criticizeimperial rule. The visual remains,on the otherhand, reveal the imperialhousehold's use of Agrippina's links to theJulio-Claudianpast and futureand herassimilationtoDemetertobolsterlegitimacy and stability. Chapter One, "Agrippina in the LiteraryTradition,"reviews Agrippina'smanipulativecharacterin theliterature. G. uses theevidence ofTacitusprimarily, withoccasional pertinent passages from Dio or Suetonius.The exceptionalsensitivity withwhich G. has always analyzed Tacitus' writings, and which continuesin thiswork, allows the reader to gain even greaterawareness of the author's carefuluse of rhetoricaland stylistic devices, vocabularyand even elementsfromcomedy.Withastuteanalysis,G. shows thatTacitus depictsAgrippinaas a woman whose everyactionwas attributable to political ambition.Actions that involve step-motherly intrigue, hypocrisy,femalejealousy and a public display of dominance all expose "herown desireforpower" (p. 33). Because ofTacitus' compelling rhetoric, most scholarshave accepted thisliterary image of Agrippinaas genuine. The emperorsthemselvesutilized Agrippina differently, as G. shows in ChapterTwo, "VisualizingAgrippina."Here, G. separates the visual materialinto threesections: coinage (convincinglysubdivided intoRoman and provincial),sculptureand cameos. G. first reviewsthehistory and influence ofimperialwomen on Romancoins beforefocusingon Agrippinaherself. She includesbothobverseand reverseimages of coins thatillustratethe messages of the imperial household and supporther challenge to those who hold the view thatAgrippina'spoliticalcloutalone explainsherextraordinary presence on official coins(p. 57). (T)hecomplex rolesthat Agrippina's imageplaysonthecoinage, whilethey might wellbe an accurate reflection ofAgrippina's realpowerinthestate, equallyservedthepolitical interests ofthethree emperors withwhomshe wasconnected. All threeemperorsused Agrippinato emphasize concordia between Julianand Claudian lines and to add validityto theirown reigns. Her designationas Augusta and assimilationto Ceres on Claudian coins also underscoredherroleas themotherofthefuture emperor. 118 BOOK REVIEWS The gold and silverissues of54 and 55 CE,whereAgrippinaappears on the obverse with Nero, provide additional confirmation of her value totheimperialhousehold. G.'s denial thattheselasttwoissues illustrate a weakeningin Agrippina'spoliticalpositionin 55 and her claim thatsuch an interpretation reliestoo heavilyon Tacitus' Ann. 13.12-13,however,requiresubstantiation. Turningto sculpture, G. makesa strongcase forthepoliticalsignificanceof Agrippina's presence in statuarygroups, especially at theSebasteionat Aphrodisias,whereAgrippinaappears twice,first with Claudius and then with Nero (figuresof both included). On bothpanels, althoughin different ways, Agrippinais assimilatedto Demeterand fertility, and as such she represents"the continuation ofthedynastyand a secureand orderlysuccession,theprerequisite forthepeace and prosperity ofRoman societyat large" (p. 71). The more private cameos, especially the Gemma Claudia, illustrate themes and ideological interestssimilar to those on coinage and sculpture. Ginsburg'suntimelydeath fouryearsago did notpermitherto finish Representing Agrippina. ErichGruen,NatalieKampen,Elizabeth Keiteland BethSevery-Hovenhave added clearlymarked,insightful introductions, conclusionsand occasional references. In the overall introduction, however,Gruenacknowledgesthata "somewhatunfinished qualityremains"(p. 4). This is mostevidentin ChapterThree, "Agrippinaand thePower of RhetoricalStereotypes," where G. returnsto theliterary evidence to assess theculturalassumptionsthat led to the powerful rhetoricalstereotypesattached to Agrippina. Withmoretime,G. would likelyhave edited her claimsabout stepmothersand the duxfeminathat are repeated fromChapter One (as well as removingrepetitive statements there)and morefullydeveloped her argumentsto cover evidence beyond Tacitus. Nonetheless ,what G. says...

Gary Forsythe: A Critical History of Early Rome. From Prehistory to the First Punic War

Gary Forsythe: A Critical History of Early Rome. From Prehistory to the First Punic War. Berkeley/Los Angeles/London: California UP 2005. XVI, 400 S. 10 Abb. 10 Ktn.

Display in Roman Warfare: The Appearance of Armies and Individuals on the Battlefield

The paper discusses the appearance of Roman armies in battle and the contribution of arms and equipment to intimidating displays in the spectacle of pitched battle. After arguing for similarity of equipment in the Roman army but not uniformity, the paper considers the personalization of equipment by soldiers as a means of self-advertisement and individual visibility in battle to ensure reward for courageous actions. This behaviour is linked to the Roman army’s origins in the warrior society of early Rome. The paper concludes with a discussion of the significance of wearing military decorations in battle, contra Maxfield’s argument ( The Military Decorations of the Roman Imperial Army, 1981) that soldiers did not wear decorations in battle.

Cary Fellowship: Church building in early medieval Rome

Cary Fellowship: Church building in early medieval Rome

Wells and Bucket-Chains: Unforeseen Elements of Water Supply in Early Roman London

ABSTRACTExcavations by MoLAS at 30 Gresham Street and 12 Arthur Street in the City of London in 2001 have led to a complete reassessment of the provision of Roman London’s water supply. Four massive first- and second-century wells contained remains of two types of mechanical water-lifting machines or bucket-chain systems. The discoveries allowed identification of a similar bucket-chain from the Cheapside Roman baths, found 50 years earlier by Ivor Noël Hume of the Guildhall Museum. Archaeological and engineering analysis has revealed the water-lifting capacity of the machines, which could have supplied a significant proportion of the town’s population with clean water.