Roman houses

1 Ringrazio gli organizzatori del convegno all'Accademia Belgica, in particolare Thomas Morard, per avermi invitato a tenere una conferenza e per aver incluso il mio contributo nel presente volume. Vorrei ringraziare anche la Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma, Sede di Ostia, nelle persone di P. Germoni e A. Pellegrino, per il loro aiuto e i diversi permessi accordatimi negli ultimi anni. Devo, inoltre, ringraziare mia moglie Elisa e Caterina Parigi, che mi hanno aiutato a migliorare l'italiano del presente articolo. 2 Fondamentale è ancora il lavoro di Becatti, "Case Ostiensi". Un quadro delle ricerche degli ultimi decenni è stato tratteggiato nel mio articolo "Housing in Late Antique Ostia", che sarà pubblicato nel corso dell 'anno 2015. 3 Schmölder-Veit, Brunnen, 98-99; Ricciardi, Santa Maria Scrinari, Civiltà dell'acqua 1, 76-77 fig. 116-118. 4 In generale per gli scavi nella zona della Schola del Traiano: Morard, Wavelet, "Prolégomènes", 787-807; Perrier, "Les trois édifices successifs", 15-32. Per la datazione della Domus dei Bucrani v. Aubry, Broquet, "Datation", in particolare 33-40. Per l'architettura e la decorazione della Domus dei Bucrani v. Morard, "Plan de la Domus aux Bucranes"; Morard, Wavelet, "Prolégomènes", 778-784 .

The present article tries to contribute to a better understanding of the relation between empire-wide and local aspects in late antique domestic
culture. On the one hand, late antique élite houses all over the Mediterranean share certain aspects, especially the existence of
a typical spatial structure; on the other hand, there are significant differences in the use of decorative elements, e. g. of marble and mosaic
pavements, and of water features. My paper tries to explain these discrepancies as a result of different local economic and historical
factors, and urban developments.

La campagne de fouilles programmées 2013 a porté sur un quartier d'habitation en cours de fouille depuis 2011. Elle a confirmé l'organisation urbaine de ce secteur, avec la mise au jours de plusieurs rues délimitant des îlots supplémentaires où prennent place des constructions à caractère privé, de dimensions parfois importantes au sol, mais dépourvues d'éléments de confort ou de décor. Le développement du quartier semble progressif, à partir du troisième quart du Ier siècle; son abandon intervient vers la fin du IIIe siècle, probablement pour partie en lien avec des glissements de terrain répétés lors d'épisodes de forte pluviométrie.

The WMF Project at Bulla Regia (Jendouba, Tunisia), directed by arch. Gionata Rizzi, was mainly addressed to urgent interventions, like the stabilization of the House of the Hunt, and establishing the guidlines for a better conservation and management of the site. An educational workshop in the House of Fishing was carried out to exemplify an analytical approach preliminary to the conservative intervention, in a building excavated about a century ago and without any reliable documentation. Through the detailed survey and the study of the structural sequence, a history of the building so far unknown has been outlined, providing the base of every conservative and development decision.
Pending the scientific publication of the results, the report is available here for anyone interested in these data.

This paper deals with the House of Leukaktios, which has been discovered during Polish excavations at Ptolemais, Libya, in 2001– 2007. The house has almost completely preserved mosaic pavements and the plan of Graeco-Roman type with an open central court (atrium), acting as the focal point around which the rooms were arranged. The name of one of the last owners, Leukaktios, is written twice on the mosaics in the atrium and in the triclinium. The author proposes the identification of several rooms. Room 1, a triclinium, has a mosaic with the characteristic U-shaped geometric frame around a central figural panel that depicts a personification of Victory or Nike. Room 14 is identified as an andron/triclinium with a similar U-shaped version lay out of the mosaic pavement. Room 9, which is situated in front of the andron/triclinium, could be interpreted as a gyneceum. The central panel which represents Dionysos and sleeping Ariadna has a parallel from the House of Dionysos in Cyrene, where the mosaic bears a rare Greek inscription dedicated to a woman.
Room 4 is identified as a reception hall. The mosaics are homogeneous in style and belong to the last phase of the building between AD 215 and 225.

More than 20 years after presenting his first interpretation of the mosaic from the House of Aion in a paper entitled “Uwagi na temat mozaiki z Domu Aiona w Nea Paphos (Cypr)” (Meander 9/10, 1987, p. 421-438, in Polish, and translated to English: « The Immortality of the Human Soul and the Dionysiac Mysteries in the 4th Century Allegory [in Connection with the Interpretation of the Mosaic from the “House of Aion” at Paphos in Cyprus]»), where he proposed reading the five mythological panels (1. Leda and Zeus; 2. Dionysus on Mount Nysa; 3. The Dionysian thiasos; 4. Apollo and Marsyas; 5. The Apotheosis of Cassiopeia) as an allegory of the destiny of the human soul and body, starting with conception and ending with the liberation of the soul and its apotheosis, the author now enhances his initial interpretation with numerous reflections concerning the historical context of this work of art, created in the years 320-360.
If, according to the author, the mosaic is a “Hymn” in honour of the pagan gods, Man (his soul) and his place in the (pagan) universe, then at the same time it polemicises with the Christian faith and its God, Jesus Christ.
The author puts forward numerous new solutions relating to the mosaic’s iconography and iconology. Analysis of the mosaic also leads him to propose a solution to the as-yet unanswered question regarding the absence of images of the crucified Christ in Christian art of the 3rd and 4th centuries, up until 420/430, when the first images of Christ on the cross appear.
CONTENTS:
Introduction
1. Research to-date (recap)
2. Description of mosaic (recap)
2.1. Composition of five mythological scenes
2.2. Brief iconographic description of mythological panels
2.3. Outline of individual iconographic elements and their respective roles
2.4. The pagan gods’ air of majesty and dignity as an expression of piety
3. A few words about the pagan reaction
4. An apology of pious human life according to pagan principles and a polemic on the Christian model of Man and his theological idol, Jesus Christ
4.1. Divine intervention in the act of human conception (allusion to/polemic on the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary)
4.2. The Epiphany of Dionysus (an allusion to the Epiphany of Christ – Theou Pais)
4.3. The procession and dissemination of Dionysian order (allusion to/polemic on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem)
4.4. The error of Marsyas (polemic on/allusion to the error of Jesus the Messiah): arrest, sentencing for arrogance and lack of piety (asebeia) and condemnation to a martyr’s death
4.5. The anabasis (or anagoge psyches) of a ‘beautiful soul’ (allusion to/polemic on the Ascension of Christ)
5. A few words on the mosaic programme prior to final conclusions
Final conclusions

The Garden Houses in Ostia are a large-scale apartment complex built during the reign of Hadrian. The complex is most famous for its standardised layout of the medianum-apartments in the central courtyard.
By analysing the preserved internal staircases of the core apartments, the height of the buildings could be reconstructed; they appeared to correspond to the contemporary building regulations.
The consensus is that Roman apartments generally lacked water related facilities. An in-depth study of the Garden Houses on site, however, has revealed that the central apartments had a water drainage system and a direct connection to the urban water net.

Osmanlı konaklarında kullanılan ahşap iskelet sisteminin Hacılar, Çatalhöyük ve Boğazkale arkeolojik araştırmalarında gördüğümüz üzere çok uzun bir zamana yayılı teknolojik evrimi söz konusudur. Günümüze ulaşan Osmanlı konaklarının hemen tamamı 19. yüzyılda yapılmıştır. Anadolu'da 18. yüzyıldan kalan yalnızca 10 kadar ahşap konak bulunmaktadır, bunların da hemen tamamı yanlış restorasyonlarla kaybedilmiş bulunmaktadır. Osmanlı konakları üzerine yapılan araştırmalar elde kalmış çok kısıtlı sayıda örnek üzerinden yapılabilmektedir. Öte yandan, restorasyon etkinlikleri tüm hızıyla sürüyor olmakla birlikte, Osmanlı konakları ile ilgili araştırmalar 21. yüzyılda akademik gündemden düşmüş bulunmaktadır. Bildiride, arkeolojik araştırmaların bulguları ışığında ahşap iskelet sistemin nasıl geliştiği anlatılacak, Osmanlı kadı içtihatlarına dayanarak ahşap elemanların nasıl standartlaştırıldığı ve 18. yüzyılın sonlarında yürürlüğü giren Ebniye Nizamnamesi ile de yapı boyutlarının nasıl şekillendiğini tartışacağım. Küçük Kıyamet olarak isimlendirilen 10 Eylül 1509 depremi ile yine en büyük depremlerden biri olarak kaydedilen 10 Temmuz 1894 depremleri arasında Osmanlı yapı stokunun depreme dayanıklı hale getirilmesi çok önemli bir deneyimdir. Bu tartışmayı Osmanlının sosyo-ekonomik çevresinden bağımsız götürmek yanlış olur. Sonuçta Anadolu'dan Balkanlar'a uzanan bir kuşak üzerinde ortaya çıkan Osmanlı konaklarının arkitektoniğinin tanımladığım etkiler (impacts) altında nasıl oluştuğu konusunda savlarımı ortaya koyacağım. Bu araştırma Osmanlı sivil mimarisinin, geleneksel Mimarlık Tarihi izleği dışında bir okumadır.

This article discuss new archaeological discoveries on Capua in the Late Antique period. The already known data and some new contexts of exceptional importance open new perspectives of interpretation both of the material culture and of the process of transformation from the Roman city to the Medieval Capua.

More than 20 years after presenting his first interpretation of the mosaic from the House of Aion in a paper entitled “Uwagi na temat mozaiki z Domu Aiona w Nea Paphos (Cypr)” (Meander 9/10, 1987, p. 421-438, in Polish, and translated to English: « The Immortality of the Human Soul and the Dionysiac Mysteries in the 4th Century Allegory [in Connection with the Interpretation of the Mosaic from the “House of Aion” at Paphos in Cyprus]»), where he proposed reading the five mythological panels (1. Leda and Zeus; 2. Dionysus on Mount Nysa; 3. The Dionysian thiasos; 4. Apollo and Marsyas; 5. The Apotheosis of Cassiopeia) as an allegory of the destiny of the human soul and body, starting with conception and ending with the liberation of the soul and its apotheosis, the author now enhances his initial interpretation with numerous reflections concerning the historical context of this work of art, created in the years 320-360.
If, according to the author, the mosaic is a “Hymn” in honour of the pagan gods, Man (his soul) and his place in the (pagan) universe, then at the same time it polemicises with the Christian faith and its God, Jesus Christ.
The author puts forward numerous new solutions relating to the mosaic’s iconography and iconology. Analysis of the mosaic also leads him to propose a solution to the as-yet unanswered question regarding the absence of images of the crucified Christ in Christian art of the 3rd and 4th centuries, up until 420/430, when the first images of Christ on the cross appear.
CONTENTS:
Introduction
1. Research to-date (recap)
2. Description of mosaic (recap)
2.1. Composition of five mythological scenes
2.2. Brief iconographic description of mythological panels
2.3. Outline of individual iconographic elements and their respective roles
2.4. The pagan gods’ air of majesty and dignity as an expression of piety
3. A few words about the pagan reaction
4. An apology of pious human life according to pagan principles and a polemic on the Christian model of Man and his theological idol, Jesus Christ
4.1. Divine intervention in the act of human conception (allusion to/polemic on the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary)
4.2. The Epiphany of Dionysus (an allusion to the Epiphany of Christ – Theou Pais)
4.3. The procession and dissemination of Dionysian order (allusion to/polemic on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem)
4.4. The error of Marsyas (polemic on/allusion to the error of Jesus the Messiah): arrest, sentencing for arrogance and lack of piety (asebeia) and condemnation to a martyr’s death
4.5. The anabasis (or anagoge psyches) of a ‘beautiful soul’ (allusion to/polemic on the Ascension of Christ)
5. A few words on the mosaic programme prior to final conclusions
Final conclusions
Key words: mythological mosaic, House of Aion, Nea Paphos, Late Antiquity, Roman art, allegorical narrative, allusive language of mythological pictures, wordplay (Marsyas-Messias), Jesus Christ, anti-Christian polemic, Dionysos, Cassiopeia, Apollon, Nereides, Abstract Personifications, Greek Mythology, ΚΥΠΡΟΣ

This volume presents the outcome of the international conference ‘Housing and Habitat in the Mediterranean World: responses to different environments’ which celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Monash University Centre in Prato in 2011.  It looks at comparative and recent research on the housing in the Mediterranean world investigating social, cultural and environmental aspects of housing in the Mediterranean world.

The topics of the contributions deal with the development and internationalisation of domestic architecture in the Mediterranean, the transformation and diffusion of different housing typologies, the implications for the social interaction, and the adaptation to regional environments of Classical models of housing.

Drawing on different aspects the contributors present new archaeological data and fresh interpretations, various theories, methods and evidence to investigate change of social space and dynamics in the urban and rural environment, also looking at housing change in different climates and cultures from the earliest Orientalising period down to Late Antiquity.

The aim is to study ancient fountains in their architectural context, in the belief that the context will reveal their function in the dwelling.  This article first analyzes the fountain structures and examines the relationship between each structure and the architecture. Through this approach, it is possible to reach some conclusions of more general value, concerning the function of central parts of Roman houses.

Summary
Kitchens in roman Italy: domus and villae
The eating habits of the Romans deeply changed after the spreading of the fine cuisine of Hellenistc origin. From the II century b.C. domus and villae were equipped with rooms specially designed for cooking.
This article will compare the archaeological remains of Pompeii and Rome with the evidence discovered in other areas, Northern Italy in particular, in order to outline local peculiarities and general trends, widely
shared by the Roman aristocracies.

In Late Antiquity, many laws were issued to regulate complex social and economic matters, including the control of real estate, construction, and the management of private buildings. A new building practice and culture of re-use gradually became predominant in a changing society. The present essay compares this legislation with the archaeological evidence in order to ascertain the characteristics of the process, assess the
contribution of the ruling classes, and distinguish different building procedures in urban areas.

This article discusses representations of hermaphrodites in the domestic context of Roman gardens and argues that the spatial context of the hermaphrodite body is as germane to critical understanding as the intersexed body itself. The spatial and semantic interrelations between Roman gardens and hermaphrodite images focus on the dynamics of viewing hermaphrodite types in Italo-Roman art (section 1), the spatial configuration of hermaphrodites with documented findspots (section 2), Ovid’s introduction of garden imagery in the tale of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus (Met. 4. 285-388) compared to the Salmakis inscription from Kaplan Kalesi at Halicarnassus (section 3), and the historical correlation to Augustan Rome’s vegetative symbolism (section 4). This synthesis of material, literary, and historical evidence for hermaphrodite images indicates that their representation in Roman domestic art can be read as an expression of domestic harmony that mirrored the emphasis on heterosexual union and political concord ushered in by Augustus and Livia.

Bronzegiessen, Schmieden und Weben unter einem Dach

Die Insula 50 am Südostrand von Augusta Raurica wurde 1969 und 1981/82 ausgegraben. Die Auswertung der Befunde und Funde aus der Nordwestecke dieser Insula ermöglichen einen Einblick in die rund 200-jährige Besiedlungsgeschichte eines Handwerkerquartiers. Die Holz- und Steinbaustrukturen liessen sich in fünf aufeinanderfolgende Bauzustände im Zeitraum zwischen 10/30 und 260/270 n. Chr. gliedern. Neben der kontinuierlich betriebenen Metallverarbeitung konnten auch das Textilhandwerk sowie eine Falschmünzerei nachgewiesen werden. Produziert wurde in einer sehr grossflächigen Werkhalle, die verschiedene Funktionsbereiche aufwies. Zuletzt wurde in den Ruinen noch einmal Buntmetall verarbeitet.

This paper deals with some questions concerning the iconography, iconology and date of execution of the famous mosaic pavement from Sheikh Zoueide in Sinai, now exibited in the Ismailiya Museum. The author analyses both the mythological mosaic with the representation of various subjects, like Dionysiac procession, Nilotic theme, Hippolytos and Phaedra, and another geometric mosaic. The iconological study of all symbolic elements sheds light on the mentality of Nestor who lived in this house and of other inhabitants of the city.  The author sees the great influence of Egypt probably of Alexandria, in the mosaic's style. He also discusses stylistic problems and suggests a date of its execution in the first half of the 5th century.
On the iconological study of the mosaic see also: M.T. Olszewski, Mauvais œil et protection contre l'envie dans la mosaïque de Cheikh Zouède au Sinaï (IV-Ve siècle), published in: Paunier, D., Schmidt, Ch (ed. by), la Mosaïque gréco-romaine VIII. Actes du  VIIIe Colloque international de la mosaïque antique et médiévale, Lausanne 1997 (2001), pp. 276-301.
M.T.Olszewski, Two Late Antique synonymous mosaics from Sheikh Zuweid (Egypt) and Vinon (France) (translated) / Deux  mosaïques  synonimiques  de l’antiquité tardive: Cheikh  Zouède  (Egypte)  et  Vinon  (France) / Dwie późnoantyczne mozaiki synonimiczne z Szeikh Zued (Egipt) i Vinon (Francja) - (in Polish), Światowit IV-A, 2002, pp. 99-105.

The multivarious arrangement of mosaic floor pavements in Greek and Roman houses provides us today with clues as to the presumed function of the rooms they decorated. This is something that Pierre Gros recently evoked in his L'architecture romaine, his excellent synthesis of Roman architecture published in Paris in 2001 by Picard. The architectural layout and decoration, especially the mosaic floors, of the given rooms in the House of Leukaktios in Ptolemais have lent support to this idea, contributing to an understanding of specific purpose and function, which can be deemed as very likely.

Sundials in Roman and Byzantine Mosaics (1st – 9th Century AD). A scientific monograph. The sundials on ancient mosaics have not been the subject of scientific studies so far. The author has gathered together  in this  publication  the sundials  already known (Torre Anunzaiata, Sarsina, Trier, Saint-Romain-en-Gal, Antiochia and Brading; Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9) and those which have  not  previously  been  identified.  Thanks  to  the author’s  new  identifcations,  the  catalogue  has  been enlarged  by  six  new  sundials (Grand,Tarsus, Antioch – interpreted by H. Pamir; Figs.  3, 6,  8, and 10. Tayibat al-Imam, Jerusalem and Umm al-Rasas (Sebastis); Figs. 10, 11, 12) and three monumental gnomes-columns with multiple functions that were used as monumental sundials [Madaba (Jerusalem), Umm al-Rasas (Kastron Mefaa) and Rome (Jerusalem); Figs. 13–15]. In addition, recognizing fully John H. Humphrey’s  interpretations,  the  author  enriches  the catalogue  by  eight  ancient  mosaic  representations  of obelisks in  circuses (Lyon, Barcelona, Volubilis, Piazza Armerina - two mosaics, Girona, Carthage and Gafsa; Figs.  16–23).  They  performed the roles of monumental sundials. In this way, the catalogue includes  twenty-three  mosaics with  the representations of sundials. They come from the Western and Eastern Provinces of the Roman Empire. The first mosaic is dated to the beginning of the 1st century AD and the last dates to the 9th century AD. The author, after  a  short  description  of each monument,  summarizes the issue discussing the role of sundials in Roman and Byzantine society, their complex signifcance and symbolic difficult linked with the progress of time on which nature and human life are dependent.

This paper proposes a new interpretation of the famous fourth century A.D. mosaic of the “Seven Sages” and the “Anger of Achilles”. Discovered in Merida in 1982, this mosaic was previously analyzed and interpreted by J.M. Aharez Martinez and M.-H. Quet. The occurrence of these two iconographic themes in one mosaic tends the author to compare the description of the “Anger of Achilles” in the first book of the Iliad with the maxims of the Seven Sages of Greece. The study of both written and iconographic sources shows that he image of the “Anger of Achilles” evokes allusively the moral precepts of the Seven Sages. The mosaic constitutes therefore an example of the practical use of “artificiosa memoria “.

Savalli, A., Pesaresi, P. & Lazzarini, L. (2015) Casa del Rilievo di Telefo and opus sectile at Herculaneum. In: Pensabene, P. & Gasparini, E. (eds) Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone: ASMOSIA X. Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference of ASMOSIA Association for the Study of Marble & Other Stones in Antiqutiy, Rome, 21-26 May 2012. Roma, L’Erma di Bretschneider: 349-361.

Paphlagonian Hadrianoupolis is 3 km
west of the area called “Viranşehir” in Eskipazar
district, Karabük province and it is
spread out over the villages of Budaklar,
Büyükyaylalar, Çaylı and Beytarla. The archaeological
remains are mostly in the Hacı
Ahmetler district of Budaklar village. It lies
basically on the Roman Southwestern Paphlagonia
and on the borderline of the Galatian,
Bithynian and Paplagonian territories. Considered
to be founded during the Late Hellenistic
period, Hadrianoupolis lived its golden
age in the Late Roman period. Especially between
the 4th-6th centuries AD. It is reported
in ancient sources to be the pilgrimage center
of an ancient city where therewere many
Christian structures, that were architecturally
important. Scientific works first started in
2003, with the salvage excavation done by
Karadeniz Ereğli Archeological Museum, continued until today. At the end of the excavations,
remains from a total of 6 structures
were discovered in the city and many archeological
materials were identified. The most
important finds from the Hadrianoupolis excavation
are the glass because they were recovered
in great numbers. Previous works in
Hadrianoupolis, focusing on the glass, highlight
this importance. The material that is the
focus of this study consists of finds that were
discovered in the structure called the Late
Roman House. These glass finds include
tableware, lamps and decorative items that
cover a wide time period between the 5th-7th
centuries AD. The majority of glass finds include
variations of vessels and in addition,
bowls, beakers, bottles, lamps and bracelets.
In this study, the daily life in Hadrianoupolis,
which is one of the most important settlements
in the area, between 5th-7th centuries
AD will be examined through the glass finds excavated in Paphlagonian Hadrianoupolis,
Late Roman House in order to shed light on
the structures and those periods of this city.
Also by utilizing scientific methods, these
glass finds will contribute to glass studies.

The article, based on a thorough review of published evidence, is a first attempt at a synthesis on private building in Athens in the Roman period. The author begins by investigating, as far as possible, the distribution of residential building in the city, then analyzes the different parts of a typical Athenian house, highlighting the architectural, decorative and functional aspects of each, and finally makes some considerations about typology. The author’s study stresses the consistency
of the town’s residential culture, which, while drawing on the Greek building tradition for certain aspects, was also ready to adopt other urban models, especially after the watershed of the Herulan conquest of 267 AD, as the quick spread of apsed halls bears out. There was also a short period of time when some architectural features reflected local fashions. All this indicates that Athens’ urban aristocracies, rather than being passive receptors of external stimuli, maintained a certain degree of autonomy in their choice of models. The result is a private architecture that manages to be innovative while remaining rooted in tradition.

This article investigates an aristocratic domus located on the Arx, overlooking the well-known insula of the Aracoeli from the northern summit of the Capitoline hill. This domus was buried during the construction of the basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in the 13th century and remained sealed until the 1980s. I have reconstructed its layout - at least three levels survive - relying on my architectural survey and on the Vittoriano archives. The original phase dates from the 1st
century BC but substantial restorations were made during the Flavian age, when the domus lost its fauces-atrium-tablinum pattern, and in the early 3rd century AD, when it was expanded vertically by a deep cut into the tuff bank, received a new façade, and was redecorated with frescoes in red-green linear style. The domus of the Aracoeli must have been a residence of high level and, not by chance, in the Severan age it was supplied by lead pipes bearing imperial stamps; other fistulae allow the identification of earlier owners before its incorporation into the imperial domain. Although the Capitoline hill was mostly occupied by public buildings, apparently the Arx was a prestigious neighborhood and not a sort of monumental acropolis. I discuss the development and the architectural design of the
domus of the Aracoeli, including its underground residential spaces as well as its sculptural and painted decoration; finally, I examine the remodellings of the original atrium house from a socio-cultural point of view.

Thèse de doctorat dirigée par J. Arce et X. Deru, soutenue à l'Université de Lille le 17 mai 2018.

Cette thèse propose une étude systématique des modes d’habitat dans les agglomérations du nord de la Gaule, aussi bien d’un point de vue architectural que culturel. La maison romaine septentrionale se démarque considérablement de son homologue méditerranéen : il s’agit d’insister sur les particularismes régionaux, notamment à propos de l’organisation de l’espace et de son usage, mais aussi de passer outre certains paradigmes, tel celui de la \textit{Streifenhaus}. Le cadre proposé est compris entre Seine et Rhin, du I\ts{er} au III\ts{e} siècle. Ainsi cette thèse, bien que répondant aux problématiques de l’archéologie régionale repose sur un cadre euro-régional et intègre à l’aire d’étude l’Allemagne (Rhénanie), la Belgique, les Pays-Bas et le Luxembourg. La thèse rend ainsi accessible une documentation éparse et inédite : environ cinq-cents maisons sont analysées et redessinées ; soixante-dix d'entre elles, jugées représentatives, font l'objet d'un catalogue qualitatif.

Le fil conducteur de cette étude est la diversité. L'archéologue fait face à une hétérogénéité marquée à tout niveau d'analyse, du statut hiérarchique et fonctionnel des agglomérations aux techniques et matériaux employés dans les maisons, jusqu'aux répertoires typologiques. Mettre en ordre cette diversité permet d'observer des phénomènes macro-régionaux, mais également de mettre en valeur le rôle de chaque communauté locale dans la définition de la forme de la maison.

Le premier volume propose l'analyse architecturale, typologique et fonctionnelle de l'habitat. Il aborde également des points moins conventionnels, comme l'étude du confort.

Le deuxième volume comprend l'inventaire des sites étudiés, le catalogue qualitatif, ainsi que l'ensemble des plans des maisons. Il est complété par les tableaux les plus volumineux, disponibles en ligne.

The domestic sphere in Greek and Roman antiquity has arguably been the focus for some of the most exciting and innovative recent research in the fields of both ancient history and classical archeology. (While not all of their practitioners would agree, for the purposes of this chapter I am defining "ancient history" and "classical archeology" broadly, with ancient history encompassing epigraphy and papyrology as well as literary-based studies, and classical archeology including methodologies inspired by anthropological archeology in addition to the more traditional forms of art historical and architectural analyses.) This shared interest in the domestic realm would seem to make it ideal territory for collaboration, or at least dialog, between ancient historians and classical archeologists. So far, however, such dialog has been relatively limited, with the two groups of scholars tending to address rather different kinds of questions. With respect to Classical Greece, for example, historians have focused on Athens and have tended to be concerned with topics such as the legal status of individual family members and affective relationships between them. Archeologists, on the other hand, have often looked more broadly across the Greek world and addressed questions such as the degree of cultural variation between cities and the nature of the domestic economy (see Trümper, this volume). Where topics have been addressed from both sides of the divide, as, for instance, with the question of the extent of female seclusion in Classical Athens, the arguments put forward on the basis of the archeological evidence

Abstract: Le village de Shahba, devenu la colonie romaine de Philippopolis, est situé à quatre-vingt dix kilomètres au sud de Damas et à vingt kilomètres au nord de Suweida’ en Syrie du Sud. Sa notoriété et son développement sont dus à l’empereur Philippe l’Arabe qui a transformé la petite bourgade où sa famille s’était installée, en une petite, mais riche cité de 244 à 249 lors de son règne.
La mosaïque polychrome qu’on pourrait appeller mosaïque de la « Fête Nocturne Pannychis » - à cause de sa représentation personnifiée - a été quelque peu oubliée par la littérature scientifique. On trouve cependant quelques brèves descriptions dans les travaux de J. Balty, de J.-Ch. Balty, de H. Hatoum, de L. Abad Casal, de H. Sichterman et d’A. Kossatz-Deismann. À ma connaissance, elle n’a été publiée que par petits fragments. Seul J.-Ch. Balty, dans un article du LIMC consacré à la personnification abstraite d’Euphrasia, propose une rapide interprétation de la mosaïque en expliquant le sens des mots « pannychis » et « euphrasia ».
La mosaïque de Pannychis n’est plus malheureusement en place, on peut néanmoins supposer, vu le thème représenté, qu’elle devait probablement orner une salle à manger (triclinium ou œcus).
Cette mosaïque rectangulaire, abritée au musee de Shahba, est composée d’une large bordure géométrique, de six petits panneaux représentant des personnifications inscrites sur les cotés courts du tapis, et d’un grand tableau central avec une effigie des trois Grâces (Charites) mis en valeur dans une belle bordure géométrique de ruban torsadé. Les tableaux angulaires représentent les Quatre Saisons. En commençant par l’angle gauche dans la rangée inférieure et en suivant le mouvement contraire à celui des aiguilles d’une montre, les Saisons sont placées en ordre suivant : Theros (l’Été), Methoporon (l’Automne), Heimon[e] (l’Hiver) et Ear (le Printemps). Entre l’Été et l’Automne, l’artiste a placé le buste de la personnification féminine de Pannychis – de la Fête Nocturne. Entre les personnifications du Printemps et de l’Hiver, le portrait en trois quart de la personnification féminine d’Euphrasia – (la Gaîté, la Joie dans un festin, la Réjouissance) a été placée.
Quel sens se cache derrière toutes ces images et à quelle idée elles font allusions ? Si le tableau central est le plus grand, il n’est que complémentaire par rapport aux panneaux latéraux. La clé du programme de la mosaïque est la personnification de Pannychis – de la Fête Nocturne. La personnification de la Gaîté – Euphrasia fait son pendant.
Que sait-on de ces faites nocturnes que les citoyens romains hellénisés en Orient célébraient en se réunissant en grand nombre ? Une source inestimable dans la recherche sur l’histoire des mentalités grecques sous la domination romaine est l’auteur grec d’Éphèse connu sous le nom d’Artémidore de Daldis, spécialiste de l’oniromancie. Il est célèbre grâce à son manuel d’interprétation des rêves (Onirocriticon) rédigé probablement à Éphèse à la fin du IIe siècle. Artémidore parle des Fêtes nocturnes vues dans les rêves. La fête nocturne est célébrée très joyeusement par ses participants. C’est une fête bruyante avec danse et musique. C’est l’occasion pour tout le monde de se rassembler et de faire de nouvelles connaissances. De plus, cette fête permet aux jeunes de dépasser certaines interdictions et d’exprimer leurs sentiments. Les nouveaux couples formés durant cette fête nocturne peuvent confirmer leur engagement par un mariage. Artémidore effectue des rapprochement entre la Fête nocturne et la réunion de personnes, le mariage, la gaîté, la bonne humeur, l’abondance et l’acquisition des biens (pour les pauvres). Le Pannychis et l’Euphrasia sont présents ensemble dans le texte d’Artémidore comme sur la mosaïque de Philippopolis. Sa description met l’accent sur des éléments caractérisant la Fête Nocturne : la joie, la bonne humeur et l’abondance (de la table et des boissons) que les fêtes offrent aux participants. La signification des Charites est complémentaire de celle qui est évoquée par les personnifications de Pannychis et d’Euphrasia. Le tableau de la mosaïque de Philippopolis fait sans doute allusion aux fêtes nocturnes que le propriétaire envisageait d’organiser, et sans aucun doute organisait dans sa demeure.
La mosaïque de la Fête Nocturne de Philippopolis qui ornait probablement un triclinium rappelle ce qu’on rencontre dans d’autres salles à manger chez les riches propriétaires. La théorie du caractère allusif à la vie de l’aristocratie de l’époque romaine (et de ses nouveaux riches) dans la décoration interne des maisons et des villa a de plus en plus de partisans parmi les chercheurs. La mosaïque de Philippopolis ressemble à la décoration des salles à manger qui évoquent la fête, les festins, la boisson, la bonne nourriture, la musique et la danse, tout les ingrédients d’un banquet réussi.