Brief exegesis of the chapters of the res gestae. Brief insights on the discovery of the epigraph... more Brief exegesis of the chapters of the res gestae. Brief insights on the discovery of the epigraphic material, on marriage policy and the problem of heredity. (Italian language) Breve esegesi dei capitoli delle res gestae. Brevi approfondimenti sul ritrovamento del materiale epigrafico, sulla politica matrimoniale e sul problema dell'eredità.
The on-going debate over the relative and absolute chronologies of the 2nd millennium bc in the N... more The on-going debate over the relative and absolute chronologies of the 2nd millennium bc in the Near East and Mediterranean is tangentially related to the situation in northern Mesopotamia, as problems in pinning down dates of Assyrian kings and events creep inexorably outward to infect dates in Palestine, Egypt, across the Aegean, and back again. Much of the (mostly later) ‘Dark Ages’ debate has been based upon evidence from texts. But with full publication of well-dated archaeological sequences such as that from Tell al-Rimah, to which sections of sequences from other sites can then be matched, we may be nearing the stage at which the accumulation of archaeological evidence can provide tighter absolute dates than those derived from cross-cutting, and too often conflicting, textual references. Or at least we are at the point when enlightened combination of the two types of information can lead the way (as in, for instance, Gasche et al. 1998, the most successful and elegant recent integration of texts and archaeology for Mesopotamia). The only problem with this book is one which the authors cannot avoid. The necessary use of the term ‘Old Babylonian’ (a geographically derived term, froin Babylonia, south Mesopotamia) to label a timeperiod in an area which is geographically ‘Assyrian’ (north Mesopotamia) is one instance of an awkwardness which pervades Mesopotamian archaeology of the historic periods. Unfortunately, the ‘Old Assyrian’ label has long ago been fixed, in temporal terms, to the very early part of the 2nd millennium bc, preceding the ‘Old Babylonian’ period. And it is archaeologically linked to a material culture which is a fusion of traditions from northern Mesopotamia and Anatolia. Further, it is linguistically linked to a dialect not represented at Tell al-Rimah. ‘Old Babylonian’ in the south has similarly been used variously to label a time-period, a set of archaeological material and a language, each overlapping in time but not entirely co-existent. And it has been hijacked for use as a temporal label in the north, giving us the strange situation of two geographically derived labels being applied to consecutive time-periods. There is far too frequently a mismatch of archaeological and historical labels in Mesopotamia, and just as frequently a mismatch of archaeological and linguistic distinctions. This should not be surprising, given that Mesopotamia is not the monolithic entity it is frequently characterized as, but has vast internal variation in physical structures, ethnic groups and reaction to historical events. But after a century-anda-half of archaeological exploration in the area, one could hope our labels would be better organized. The use of the Old Babylonian term here is acknowledged to be odd but is partly justified by the Babylonian dialect used in the texts. But it remains unsettling. Certainly there are links: the elaborate ‘palm-tree’ brick facade on the temple at Rimah has parallels at sites in the south (as well as elsewhere in the north). And there are many parallels for specific pottery types from Rimah at contemporary southern sites such as Tell ed-Der and Nippur. But there are more overall differences than similarities between the two areas, and the distinction in cultural expressions and political systems in north and south surely should be reflected in our archaeological labels. The contemporary French school of thought avoids the difficulty by labelling the ‘Old Babylonian’ period in Assyria the ‘royaume de Haute MBsopotamie’ (which translates only slightly uncomfortably into English). But this brings on the question of our categorization of the political structure, as there is debate as to whether it was a kingdom. However, this is a divergence into a problem which this book does not intend to solve. The aim of sorting and presenting a vast amount of basic information in a useful way has been admirably achieved. AUGUSTA MCMAHON Faculty of Oriental Studies University of Cambridge [email protected]
of one generation (not least those of the legendary past) acted as models, teachers, and even riv... more of one generation (not least those of the legendary past) acted as models, teachers, and even rivals for their successors. In thus contextualizing its subjects, however, the collection seems to o¶er a strikingly Hegelian perspective on the past. To quote the Introduction to The Philosophy of History (1840): ‘The great men in history are those whose own particular aims contain the substantial will that is the will of the World Spirit’. The actions of these great μgures, though motivated entirely by their own short-term interests, are nevertheless seen to have brought about the epoch-making changes which now seem to us with hindsight to have been inevitable. Such μgures embody and epitomize trends and tendencies within Roman history; we are presented here with the Roadbuilder, the Conqueror, the Moralist, the Reformer, the Aristocratic Rebel, the Social Climber, and so forth. A history of heroic individuals is to some extent replaced with a history of symbolic Types. It must be stressed that this book is by no means the only one to o¶er such a perspective; indeed, one of its merits is that it brings this widespread tendency into sharper focus, and so may provoke a little self-re·ection amongst other historians of the Roman Republic.
3D digitization methods have become essential tools in cultural heritage practice. Methods like l... more 3D digitization methods have become essential tools in cultural heritage practice. Methods like laser scanning and photogrammetry are being widely applied for the conservation of priceless objects and for enabling audience engagement with history. Such data have value as a new wave of multisensory museum practice ripples through the sector and could provide a perfect use for the enormous corpus of 3D data in cultural heritage. This paper documents such an application, where laser scanning has been used in conjunction with 3D printing to re-present the Chichester Roman tablet, an object of key importance in early Romano-British history, to new audiences. It details the process used to digitize the tablet and recreate different versions of its missing text and its state of preservation. It describes how such data can play a role beyond just documentation. Discussed is how such approaches enrich families' engagement in cultural heritage and how such material can used as didactic material in higher education.
to the tendency towards height analysis elsewhere (i.e. graffiti under one metre from the ground ... more to the tendency towards height analysis elsewhere (i.e. graffiti under one metre from the ground must be by school children). One might wonder, though, whether impressive images such as the ship Europa, from the eponymous Pompeian house, can really be considered in any real sense as having much in common with stick-men. In short, the volume may well provide the springboard to further research on the role of graffiti in antiquity, which will benefit hugely from the extensive indexes (topographical and thematic) and concordance to epigraphic corpora. It will certainly supply a splendid research tool for further work on topics such as the nature of popular culture, the interaction of word and image, or the significance of the spatial context of graffiti pictures.
The Roman amphitheatre was a site both of bloody combat and marvellous spectacle, symbolic of the... more The Roman amphitheatre was a site both of bloody combat and marvellous spectacle, symbolic of the might of Empire; to understand the importance of the amphitheatre is to understand a key element in the social and political life of the Roman ruling classes. Generously illustrated with 141 plans and photographs, The Story of the Roman Amphitheatre offers a comprehensive picture of the origins, development, and eventual decline of the most typical and evocative of Roman monuments. With a detailed examination of the Colosseum, as well as case studies of significant sites from Italy, Gaul, Spain and Roman North Africa, the book is a fascinating gazetteer for the general reader as well as a valuable tool for students and academics.
... ANCIENT ITALY INITS MEDITERRANEAN SETTING. STUDIES IN HONOUR OF ELLEN MACNAMARA. Autores: Ray... more ... ANCIENT ITALY INITS MEDITERRANEAN SETTING. STUDIES IN HONOUR OF ELLEN MACNAMARA. Autores: Ray Laurence; Localización: Journal of roman studies, ISSN 0075-4358, Nº 94, 2004 , pág. 223. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. ...
During the 1990s and 2000s, much scholarly attention was given tothe question of levels of litera... more During the 1990s and 2000s, much scholarly attention was given tothe question of levels of literacy in the Roman world, a question which would appear to be central to our understanding of the role of inscriptions in their contemporary contexts. Following the publication of William Harris’ highly influential work Ancient Literacy, in which he argued that literacy levels must have been very limited in the Roman imperial period – as low as 10% - albeit variable in different places,[1] a sequence of other works appeared that attempted to vindicate the place of inscriptions in the Roman world by either arguing for higher pockets of literacy in some contexts, or by focusing upon inscriptions as somehow symbolic or powerful, communicating in ways that were not wholly dependent upon people’s ability to read their texts, and which consequently had a wider reach in society than literate readers.[2] Even in cases where authors have explicitly distanced themselves from wishing to estimate the potential number of individuals able to read an inscription (see section 2, below), the emphasis has remained on the question of reading inscriptions.
Brief exegesis of the chapters of the res gestae. Brief insights on the discovery of the epigraph... more Brief exegesis of the chapters of the res gestae. Brief insights on the discovery of the epigraphic material, on marriage policy and the problem of heredity. (Italian language) Breve esegesi dei capitoli delle res gestae. Brevi approfondimenti sul ritrovamento del materiale epigrafico, sulla politica matrimoniale e sul problema dell'eredità.
The on-going debate over the relative and absolute chronologies of the 2nd millennium bc in the N... more The on-going debate over the relative and absolute chronologies of the 2nd millennium bc in the Near East and Mediterranean is tangentially related to the situation in northern Mesopotamia, as problems in pinning down dates of Assyrian kings and events creep inexorably outward to infect dates in Palestine, Egypt, across the Aegean, and back again. Much of the (mostly later) ‘Dark Ages’ debate has been based upon evidence from texts. But with full publication of well-dated archaeological sequences such as that from Tell al-Rimah, to which sections of sequences from other sites can then be matched, we may be nearing the stage at which the accumulation of archaeological evidence can provide tighter absolute dates than those derived from cross-cutting, and too often conflicting, textual references. Or at least we are at the point when enlightened combination of the two types of information can lead the way (as in, for instance, Gasche et al. 1998, the most successful and elegant recent integration of texts and archaeology for Mesopotamia). The only problem with this book is one which the authors cannot avoid. The necessary use of the term ‘Old Babylonian’ (a geographically derived term, froin Babylonia, south Mesopotamia) to label a timeperiod in an area which is geographically ‘Assyrian’ (north Mesopotamia) is one instance of an awkwardness which pervades Mesopotamian archaeology of the historic periods. Unfortunately, the ‘Old Assyrian’ label has long ago been fixed, in temporal terms, to the very early part of the 2nd millennium bc, preceding the ‘Old Babylonian’ period. And it is archaeologically linked to a material culture which is a fusion of traditions from northern Mesopotamia and Anatolia. Further, it is linguistically linked to a dialect not represented at Tell al-Rimah. ‘Old Babylonian’ in the south has similarly been used variously to label a time-period, a set of archaeological material and a language, each overlapping in time but not entirely co-existent. And it has been hijacked for use as a temporal label in the north, giving us the strange situation of two geographically derived labels being applied to consecutive time-periods. There is far too frequently a mismatch of archaeological and historical labels in Mesopotamia, and just as frequently a mismatch of archaeological and linguistic distinctions. This should not be surprising, given that Mesopotamia is not the monolithic entity it is frequently characterized as, but has vast internal variation in physical structures, ethnic groups and reaction to historical events. But after a century-anda-half of archaeological exploration in the area, one could hope our labels would be better organized. The use of the Old Babylonian term here is acknowledged to be odd but is partly justified by the Babylonian dialect used in the texts. But it remains unsettling. Certainly there are links: the elaborate ‘palm-tree’ brick facade on the temple at Rimah has parallels at sites in the south (as well as elsewhere in the north). And there are many parallels for specific pottery types from Rimah at contemporary southern sites such as Tell ed-Der and Nippur. But there are more overall differences than similarities between the two areas, and the distinction in cultural expressions and political systems in north and south surely should be reflected in our archaeological labels. The contemporary French school of thought avoids the difficulty by labelling the ‘Old Babylonian’ period in Assyria the ‘royaume de Haute MBsopotamie’ (which translates only slightly uncomfortably into English). But this brings on the question of our categorization of the political structure, as there is debate as to whether it was a kingdom. However, this is a divergence into a problem which this book does not intend to solve. The aim of sorting and presenting a vast amount of basic information in a useful way has been admirably achieved. AUGUSTA MCMAHON Faculty of Oriental Studies University of Cambridge [email protected]
of one generation (not least those of the legendary past) acted as models, teachers, and even riv... more of one generation (not least those of the legendary past) acted as models, teachers, and even rivals for their successors. In thus contextualizing its subjects, however, the collection seems to o¶er a strikingly Hegelian perspective on the past. To quote the Introduction to The Philosophy of History (1840): ‘The great men in history are those whose own particular aims contain the substantial will that is the will of the World Spirit’. The actions of these great μgures, though motivated entirely by their own short-term interests, are nevertheless seen to have brought about the epoch-making changes which now seem to us with hindsight to have been inevitable. Such μgures embody and epitomize trends and tendencies within Roman history; we are presented here with the Roadbuilder, the Conqueror, the Moralist, the Reformer, the Aristocratic Rebel, the Social Climber, and so forth. A history of heroic individuals is to some extent replaced with a history of symbolic Types. It must be stressed that this book is by no means the only one to o¶er such a perspective; indeed, one of its merits is that it brings this widespread tendency into sharper focus, and so may provoke a little self-re·ection amongst other historians of the Roman Republic.
3D digitization methods have become essential tools in cultural heritage practice. Methods like l... more 3D digitization methods have become essential tools in cultural heritage practice. Methods like laser scanning and photogrammetry are being widely applied for the conservation of priceless objects and for enabling audience engagement with history. Such data have value as a new wave of multisensory museum practice ripples through the sector and could provide a perfect use for the enormous corpus of 3D data in cultural heritage. This paper documents such an application, where laser scanning has been used in conjunction with 3D printing to re-present the Chichester Roman tablet, an object of key importance in early Romano-British history, to new audiences. It details the process used to digitize the tablet and recreate different versions of its missing text and its state of preservation. It describes how such data can play a role beyond just documentation. Discussed is how such approaches enrich families' engagement in cultural heritage and how such material can used as didactic material in higher education.
to the tendency towards height analysis elsewhere (i.e. graffiti under one metre from the ground ... more to the tendency towards height analysis elsewhere (i.e. graffiti under one metre from the ground must be by school children). One might wonder, though, whether impressive images such as the ship Europa, from the eponymous Pompeian house, can really be considered in any real sense as having much in common with stick-men. In short, the volume may well provide the springboard to further research on the role of graffiti in antiquity, which will benefit hugely from the extensive indexes (topographical and thematic) and concordance to epigraphic corpora. It will certainly supply a splendid research tool for further work on topics such as the nature of popular culture, the interaction of word and image, or the significance of the spatial context of graffiti pictures.
The Roman amphitheatre was a site both of bloody combat and marvellous spectacle, symbolic of the... more The Roman amphitheatre was a site both of bloody combat and marvellous spectacle, symbolic of the might of Empire; to understand the importance of the amphitheatre is to understand a key element in the social and political life of the Roman ruling classes. Generously illustrated with 141 plans and photographs, The Story of the Roman Amphitheatre offers a comprehensive picture of the origins, development, and eventual decline of the most typical and evocative of Roman monuments. With a detailed examination of the Colosseum, as well as case studies of significant sites from Italy, Gaul, Spain and Roman North Africa, the book is a fascinating gazetteer for the general reader as well as a valuable tool for students and academics.
... ANCIENT ITALY INITS MEDITERRANEAN SETTING. STUDIES IN HONOUR OF ELLEN MACNAMARA. Autores: Ray... more ... ANCIENT ITALY INITS MEDITERRANEAN SETTING. STUDIES IN HONOUR OF ELLEN MACNAMARA. Autores: Ray Laurence; Localización: Journal of roman studies, ISSN 0075-4358, Nº 94, 2004 , pág. 223. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. ...
During the 1990s and 2000s, much scholarly attention was given tothe question of levels of litera... more During the 1990s and 2000s, much scholarly attention was given tothe question of levels of literacy in the Roman world, a question which would appear to be central to our understanding of the role of inscriptions in their contemporary contexts. Following the publication of William Harris’ highly influential work Ancient Literacy, in which he argued that literacy levels must have been very limited in the Roman imperial period – as low as 10% - albeit variable in different places,[1] a sequence of other works appeared that attempted to vindicate the place of inscriptions in the Roman world by either arguing for higher pockets of literacy in some contexts, or by focusing upon inscriptions as somehow symbolic or powerful, communicating in ways that were not wholly dependent upon people’s ability to read their texts, and which consequently had a wider reach in society than literate readers.[2] Even in cases where authors have explicitly distanced themselves from wishing to estimate the potential number of individuals able to read an inscription (see section 2, below), the emphasis has remained on the question of reading inscriptions.
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