Architectures of the Roman World: Models, Agency, Reception

These case studies provide an interdisciplinary reassessment of the function, impact, and significance of architecture within local cultures and the dynamic relationship between periphery and center of the Roman Empire.This book brings together an international team of scholars to re-evaluate Roman-period architecture outside Rome and the Italian Peninsula, looking at the regions that formed part of the Roman Empire over a broad time frame: from the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Moving beyond traditional views of ‘Roman provincial architecture’, they highlight the multi-faceted features of these architectures, their function, impact and significance within the local cultures, and the dynamic discourse between periphery and centre. Architecture is intended in the broad sense of the term, encompassing the buildings’ technological components as well as their ornamental and epigraphic apparatuses. The geographic framework under examination is a broad one: along with well-documented areas of the ancient Mediterranean, attention is also paid to the territories of north-west Europe. The discussion throughout the volume focuses on three interrelated themes – models, agency, and reception. The broader scope of these essays gives a reinvigorated impetus to the scholarly debate on the role and influence of ancient architectures beyond the centre of Empire. The book has a strong interdisciplinary character, reflecting the authors’ diverse expertise in the fields of archaeology, architecture, ancient history, art and architectural history.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of figuresList of abbreviations1. Architectures of the Roman World: An introductionNiccolò Mugnai2. …incorrupti imbribus, ventis, ignibus omnique caemento firmiores? Earthen building materials in the Roman WestBen Russell, Christopher Beckett,Tanja Romankiewicz, J. Riley Snyder and Rose Ferraby3. Unusual terracotta tiles for the vaulting of Roman baths: An investigation into the exchange and diffusion of technical knowledge in the western Roman EmpireLynne C. Lancaster4. From dry to mortared construction: Building at Nikopolis and Olympia between the first century BCE and the first century CEPaolo Vitti5. Green shoots: Architectural transfer and sustainability in the architecture of the Roman provincesEdmund Thomas6. Building cities on the Rhine and on the Danube: The socio-ecological diversity of Roman constructionDominik Maschek7. Provincial-sized monumentality: The construction site of the Roman theatre of Augusta Raurica (Switzerland)Thomas Hufschmid8. Building public baths outside Rome: The case study of Nora, SardiniaCaterina Previato9. What have the Romans ever done for us? Early Roman Jerusalem as an urban centre between local tradition and Roman ruleOrit Peleg-Barkat10. Building and reshaping public spaces in North Africa in the early imperial period: The examples of Thugga, Lepcis Magna, and CyreneNiccolò Mugnai11.Responding to ‘Classical’ architecture in Roman-era AthensChristopher Siwicki12. A matter of perspective: The reception of early imperial composite column capitals in Asia MinorPhil Stinson13. Where do we live? Local stonescapes and globalized architecture in Cyrenaica and Cyprus Eleonora Gasparini14. Architectures of the Roman World: Some conclusionsJanet DeLaine Read more