Flavians Research Articles

Il “gran finale” del De consulatu Stilichonis di Claudiano

The final episode of Claudian’s De consulatu Stilichonis (carm. 24, 237-369) describes the hunt of animals to be brought to Rome for the hunting spectacles (venationes) which the consul Stilicho generously aimed to offer to the city. The hunt covers an extraordinarily wide geographical area (Europe, Africa, India); the goddess Diana is the protagonist of the scene and directs the action; her companions, the Nymphs, collaborate with her. The passage offers many insights for analysis, from different perspectives: in this paper, I focus mainly on the encomiastic motifs that emerge, on several levels, from the staging of the hunt, and on the aesthetics of its representation, with its distinctly ecphrastic, visual, and spectacular character. Both aspects, ideological and poetic one, are related to literary references (in particular, Ovid and the poets of the Flavian period, Statius and Martial) and iconographic material culture (the great African mosaics of Late Antiquity, above all the “Great Hunt” of the Roman Villa of Piazza Armerina).

Unit Levies after the Batavian Revolt and the Conquest of Northern Britannia

AbstractIn the Early Flavian Period over 30 military units were created or transferred for service in Britannia. Paul Holder maintained that these units arrived with Petillius Cerialis for Vespasian's expansionist plans and connected several new levies to the Batavian Revolt. Considering recent scholarship on Roman responses to revolts and Flavian geopolitics, however, this viewpoint requires revision. The author maintains that these units were transferred throughout the 70s c.e. as opportunities developed organically in Britannia. These newly levied units were not created in response to the Batavian Revolt, but due to the extraordinary and complex circumstances within Rome's northern frontiers after the post-Neronian civil wars. This article concludes with updated histories for the auxiliary units involved.

ESTABLISHING A DYNASTY IN IDEOLOGY AND PRACTICE: THEAEDES VESTAEAUREI OF VESPASIAN

This paper uses a Flavian aureus type depicting theaedes Vestaeto explore both the ideological and the practical aspects of using coinage to propagate a dynasty. Firstly, we analyse the type from an iconographic perspective and argue that it should not be understood as a simple referent to the building itself, but rather as a complex interplay of different semantic units, intended to convey messages of dynastic harmony and security. Secondly, we use a die study to reconstruct the minting process and use our findings to elucidate the transformation of Roman coin production during the Flavian period. Taken together, the two parts of the paper demonstrate both the importance and the pay-offs of studying Roman coinage holistically, that is, with an integrated approach that combines iconographic and technical analysis. A catalogue of coins considered in the die study is provided as an appendix.

NO ‘GREAT’ FLAVIAN WOMEN? PROCESSES OF SILENCING IN ANCIENT SOURCES AND (EARLY) MODERN SCHOLARSHIP

Researchers routinely stress that, compared to the Julian-Claudian period, the Flavian period had no ‘great women’. But what do these researchers mean by ‘greatness’? This contribution examines processes of inclusion and exclusion of women in ancient, early modern and modern historical narratives about the Flavian period. Drawing on the conceptual frameworks advanced by Linda Nochlin and Michel-Rolph Trouillot, the article argues for more complex and more diverse grand narratives about Flavian women: instead of continuing the practice of making these women ‘invisible’, we would gain more by focusing on the subtleties of the act of silencing in both past and present.

Domitian: An Innovative Emperor?

The exhibition at the National Museum of Antiquities at Leiden God on Earth: Emperor Domitian (December 2021–May 2022) presented an overview of Domitian’s life in objects to demonstrate the significance and impact of his 15-year reign. The show focused on how he legitimized and shaped his rule, and it challenged the viewer to rethink the assessment of Domitian in ancient sources and his branding as one of the “bad” emperors. The Flavian dynasty, by forging a connection to Augustus, the most popular ruler before them, “anchored innovation” by linking new ideas to familiar ideas already established. The great achievement of the exhibition lay in the quality and scope of the 275 objects from more than 20 museums; the Flavian era emerged as equally artistically rich as that of the Julio-Claudians. Although the exhibition explicitly did not aim to recast Domitian as a “good” ruler but rather invited the viewer to consider all aspects of his image and reputation, at the same time it seemed to rehabilitate Domitian, presenting him as an important emperor in his own right and in a more positive light.

Insaniam e ligno (nat . hist . XXXvi 114)


 
 
 
 In book 36 of Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, a book devoted to stone, there’s an extensive description of Curio’s wooden theatre, a surprising fact which warrants an explanation. Equally surprising is the unremarked upon absence in the same book of any mention of the Colosseum amphitheater, a stone monument which was being built when Pliny was writing his encyclopedia, and whose huge construction site in the center of Rome he could hardly have missed. It would seem that Pliny’s disapproval of Curio’s theatre, a device that gave birth to the neologism amphitheatrum, should be read as a veiled criticism aimed at the imperial decision to provide the Urbs with an amphitheatrum novum which was to be the largest structure of this type ever built until this date. The encyclopedist’s feelings towards the Flavian dynasty thus appear to be more ambiguous than is generally thought.
 
 
 

Oplontis: Villa A (“of Poppaea”) at Torre Annunziata, Italy. Volume 2, The Decorations: Painting, Stucco, Pavements, Sculptures Edited by John R. Clarke and Nayla K. Muntasser (ACLS Humanities E-Book). New York: American Council of Learned Societies 2019. Reflowable; approx. 1, 594 pp. Open access at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.90048. ISBN 9781628201383 (e-book).

<i>Oplontis: Villa A (“of Poppaea”) at Torre Annunziata, Italy. Volume 2, The Decorations: Painting, Stucco, Pavements, Sculptures</i> Edited by John R. Clarke and Nayla K. Muntasser (ACLS Humanities E-Book). New York: American Council of Learned Societies 2019. Reflowable; approx. 1, 594 pp. Open access at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.90048. ISBN 9781628201383 (e-book).

Trajan and the revolt of Antonius Saturninus

The article points out that the starting positions of the young native of the Spanish city of Italica were provided by his father, a prominent follower of the Flavian dynasty, who became a consul, a patrician and, yes, was awarded a rare and prestigious award-the triumphal distinctions for the governorship in Syria. The future emperor himself held the position of military tribune for an unusually long time, which provided him with a career in the professional military ( vir militaris ). However, although Trajan the younger, after the military tribunate, passed all the necessary steps of the civil magistracies, up to and including the praetura, instead of the patrician consulship, he receives the unusual appointment of commander of the legion stationed in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. From the authors point of view, this designation, despite its external lack of prestige, was a sign of special trust on the part of the bearer of supreme power. When a military revolt broke out on the Rhine in early 89, led by the governor of Upper Germany, Antonius Saturninus, Trajan, on the orders of the Emperor Domitian, immediately moved with his legion to campaign against the rebels. The zealous execution of the order allowed him to become one of the most trusted military leaders of Domitian. Trajan may have confirmed in the eyes of the emperor his reputation as a loyal and energetic supporter of the Flavian dynasty by taking part in punitive measures against the minuscule legions. About Trajans subsequent career in the surviving sources is silent, which makes it suspect that he was carrying out new government assignments of the tyrant. By the time of the dynastic crisis of 96-98. Trajan undoubtedly had a reputation as a recognized vir militaris , a major military and administrator.

A NEW PERIOD PROPOSAL FOR PUBLISHED FEMALE PORTRAIT

Due to the similarity of the hairdressing fashion on female head with the portraits of Domitia Longina written by J. Inan and E. A. Rosenbaum who have important studies about Roman imperial portrait art, Flavian Dynasty period was proposed directly. In the study in 1979, no typological distinction was made among the portraits of Domitia Longina and Domitia Longina portraits were limited to the Flavian Dynasty. Hairdressing fashion in the form of a spongy mass of hair, which is very important in identifying and dating this period, also looks like a wreath-like hair mass in Istanbul piece. This hair style is not similar to the hairdressing fashion of the portraits of Iulia Titi and Domitia Longina during the Flavian Dynasty. It is similar to the portraits of Domitia Longina in IIIrd type who was honoured after the Flavian Dynasty and of whom portraits were made with new hair fashion. Although this new hair fashion, which is dated to Nerva - Early Traianus period, is reminiscent of the Flavian Dynasty in essence, this hairdressing fashion in which the hair tresses are portraited more exaggerated should be dated after the Flavian Dynasty. Key Words: Portrait, Domitia Longina, IIIrd type, Nerva - Early Traianus period

Building Britannia: Pre-Flavian Private and Public Construction across Southern Britain

ABSTRACTExcavation of the Roman tilery at Little London, Pamber, Hampshire, has prompted a reassessment of the dating of relief-patterned tile, assigning the bulk of production to the Claudio-Neronian period rather than the late first to mid-/late second century. This material has been privileged for retention in excavation archives but can now be seen as a proxy for the manufacture of a much wider range of ceramic building material, typically discarded on site, which, in the case of products from Little London and pre-Flavian Minety (Wiltshire), travelled distances of up to 100 km. Redating implies more extensive public and private building in town and country south and east of the Fosse Way before the Flavian period than has previously been envisaged. While private building included the construction of bath-houses, heated rooms and the provision of roofing materials, public building, we suggest, provided tabernas et praetoria along the principal roads of the province. In the private sphere such building provides a possible context for Dio Cassius’ mention of the recall and confiscation of large loans made to Britons before the Boudican rebellion. Finally, consideration of fabric needs to be added to the criteria for retaining ceramic building material in excavation archives.

Unpublished Portrait Head of a Young Man From Alexandria

This article presents an unknown portrait head from the Flavian period, preserved in a storeroom in Alexandria (Egypt).

La epigrafía votiva romana de Caldas de Montbui (Vallés Oriental, Barcelona) (ss. I-II d. C.). Un ejemplo de promoción de las élites provinciales de la tarraconensis en centros de aguas minero- medicinales

En el presente artículo estudiamos en profundidad las inscripciones votivas de Caldas de Montbui. Para ello, nos vamos a centrar en el estudio epigráfico con una metodología basada en el registro material consultado de primera mano, las publicaciones científicas relacionadas con nuestra investigación y las fuentes primarias. Según la información recopilada, proponemos la importancia de la segunda mitad del siglo I d. C. e inicios del siglo II d. C. en la manifestación del hábito epigráfico, claro síntoma de una fase de popularidad con la presencia de personajes de las élites provinciales procedentes de ciudades como Barcino, Iluro o Tarraco. Con la investigación realizada, observamos la gran evolución e impulso que adquiere este enclave durante todo el siglo I d. C., siendo un aspecto determinante en este proceso el patrocinio imperial de Tiberio y la dinastía flavia. In this paper we study the votive inscriptions of Caldas de Montbui in depth. To do this we focus, mainly, on epigraphic study following a methodology based on the material record personally consulted, the scientific publications linked to our research and the primary sources. According to the information gathered, we propose the importance of the second half of the 1st century AD and the beginning of the 2nd century AD in the manifestation of the epigraphic habit. It happens as a clear symptom regarding the popularity of relevant figures from provincial elites established in cities like Barcino, Iluro or Tarraco. Along with the research carried out, we observe the great evolution and impulse that this enclave acquires during the 1st century AD, being the imperial patronage of Tiberius a decisive aspect in this process, and later the Flavian dynasty.

A Roman shipwreck with a cargo of Apuan marble (marmor lunense) at Punta del Francese (Stintino‐Sassari, Sardinia)

The wreck‐site of Punta del Francese (Stintino‐Sassari) off the island of Sardinia (Italy) is composed of 14 roughly cubic blocks and slabs of marble lying in an almost coherent arrangement. Archaeometric analyses indicate a provenance of the entire cargo of marble from the Apuan Alps (marmor lunense) of north Italy. Fragments of amphoras confirm its dating to the Flavian period (first century ce). The dimensions of the cargo, and especially of the single blocks, suggest it would have been destined for the building of an important public monument in western Hispania or southern Gallia. A first hypothesis for the ship's sailing route, and a comparison with the other cargoes of marble from Luna, are proposed.

An Early Roman Fort at Thirkleby, North Yorkshire

ABSTRACTThis paper reports the discovery through aerial photography of a Roman fort at Thirkleby, near Thirsk in North Yorkshire. It appears to have two structural phases, and surface finds indicate that it dates from the Flavian period. The significance of its location on the intersection of routes north–south along the edge of the Vale of York and east–west connecting Malton and Aldborough is discussed in the context of Roman annexation of the North.

Materiais arqueológicos da Cividade de Bagunte presentes no Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto

The Cividade of Bagunte is a big fortified settlement from the Iron Age Period, which was widely transformed during the Romanization process of the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The urban reorganization of the town happened in the 2nd half of the first century, with the Flavian dynasty. It had several archaeological campaigns during the 19th, 20th and 21th centuries. If the archaeological material dug in recent campaigns is in storage, the vast majority of the material collected in the 20th century isn´t accounted for, exception made for the Torques made of silver. Asfor the archaeological artefacts gathered in the 19th century, al are store at the University of Porto – Faculty of Sciences, being the subject of this article.

Des péristyles corinthiens dans les domus de Vienna : note sur des fragments d’architecture découverts à Sainte-Colombe (69) .

In 2016 and 2017, two preventive archaeological excavations at Sainte-Colombe (69) revealed the remains of rich peristyle houses belonging to the suburbium of the Roman colony of Vienne. Numerous fragments of architectural decorations have been extracted, including pieces of corinthian capitals, which are rarely found in a context of Gallo-Roman housing. Reconstructing and stylistically analyzing these capitals result in dates between the Flavian period and the end of the 2nd century AD and thus confirm that Sainte-Colombe houses were decorated through several phases. From a broader point of view, these few pieces raise some interesting questions about using corinthian order into gallo-roman peristyles and the significance of such a choice of ornamentation for proprietaries.

Roman Coins from the Municipium of Brigetio

This paper publishes 50 coins found in the civil town of ancient Brigetio, today Komarom in Hungary. They were unearthed in private gardens and got to the local museum, to privatecollections or simply lost by now. These coins provide a good complementary material to the finds excavated 1992 and 2016 at Komarom-Szőny Vasarter (Marketplace), which was the central area of the municipium. Altogether 235 coins were suitable to be analysed in a table showing the circulation of coins struck between AD 68 and 251. A chart was also prepared to highlight the trends based on value (in as) rather than on number of pieces. It shows that the stable presence of coins started in the Flavian period, increased in the Antonine era, however, dropped due to the Marcomannic wars. The reign of the Severan dynasty was a real boost bringing silver denominations instead of bronze ones, which almost exclusively dominated the Antonine period. Coin circulation suddenly ceased after the reign of Trajan Decius, which is also supported by an antoninianus hoard buried ca. AD 252. The last coins represented both in the hoard and in the continuous coin circulation were minted under Trebonianus Gallus.

Nueva epigrafía sobre ánforas Dressel 20 encontrada en Straubing

Presentamos aquí las novedades epigráficas sobre ánforas de aceite de oliva de la tipología Dressel 20 encontradas en la ciudad romana de Sorviodurum (Straubing, Alemania). Estas marcas se relacionan con el asentamiento de unidades auxiliares en una cronología que va desde época flavia hasta finales del s. III. Incluimos también los epígrafes ya publicados para ofrecer una visión de conjunto de la ciudad mediante todo el material de esta tipología.

A Roman Marching Camp in Ayr

ABSTRACT26 carefully positioned fire-pits indicate the location of a Roman marching camp situated near a river crossing and on a terrace of the river Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Radiocarbon dates from six of the pits provided dates ranging from 2b.c. toa.d.231, with an overlap around the Flavian period (a.d. 77–86 to 90). There is some evidence for the clay superstructure of ovens, and botanical evidence for the fuel used and crops cooked. Supplementary Material available online athttps://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X19000059.

Wespazjan twórcą senatorskiej elity

&lt;p&gt;Najważniejszym novum w dziejach stanu senatorskiego za panowania Flawiuszy była bezprecedensowa akcja promowania homines novi wywodzących się z grona stanu ekwickiego i członków elit municypalnych. Proceder ten był wymuszony z jednej strony stratami, które stan senatorski poniósł za panowania Nerona i w czasie walki o władzę w latach 68–70, ale także przez konieczność spłaty politycznych długów wobec tych, którzy poparli cesarskie aspiracje Flawiuszy w czasie wojny domowej. Jednocześnie cesarze z nowej rodziny kupowali w ten sposób poparcie, kreując znaczną część politycznej elity. W procesie tym, którego szczegółów nie jesteśmy w stanie prześledzić, docenieni zostali mieszkańcy prowincji, zwłaszcza Hiszpanii i Galii, a w dalszym rzędzie także prowincji wschodnich. Nadal jednak w senacie swą dominującą pozycję utrzymali mieszkańcy Italii. Wespazjan nie tylko uzupełnił skład elit senatorskich, ale w znacznej mierze zastąpił je nowo promowanymi ludźmi, którzy związali swoją fortunę z nowym domem panującym. Nie zapewniał jednak możliwości zrobienia szybkiej kariery świeżo powołanym senatorom, zachowując w ten sposób balans pomiędzy dawną arystokracją a nową elitą.&lt;/p&gt;