Roman Greece

In the summer of 2006 geoarchaeological fieldwork was conducted in the valley north of the ancient Roman city of Nikopolis (Epirus, Greece). Different geomorphological and geophysical techniques were used to determine the appearance of the landscape around the city in Roman times. A number of geomorphological techniques were used: first of all, detailed analysis of different land forms apparent at the surface and hand augering of these land forms. The sediments taken from the cores were analysed for geological composition and anthropological indicators. A selected number of samples were taken for grain size and thermogravimetric analyses. Furthermore, geophysical prospection (magnetometric and resistivity surveys) was performed in some key areas. The geomorphological study has revealed that the valley is bound by two faults, one to the south and a large one to the north. From the northern fault two alluvial fans enter the valley. Furthermore, the valley is subject to a complex combination of alluvial, colluvial and marine sedimentation, erosion, tectonic uplift, sea level variations and anthropogenic activities. The geophysical data, finally, show a Roman landscape that had a symbolic layout. A Roman road connecting the monument of Augustus with the main city gate, an aqueduct parallel to it, a bath house along the road and a theater and stadium nearby showed that Nikopolis was a city of great importance.

The much shorter Archaiologikon Deltion for the single year of 2005 invariably offers far fewer reports on the work of the Archaeological Service than the four-year volume with which we were presented last year. This, in itself, is no bad thing, although the geographical and chronological balance generated by such a large dataset is notable by its absence. This unevenness is, as ever, partially offset by the publication of fieldwork, although certain areas maintain a far more visible archaeological presence than others. This is particularly true for the northeastern Peloponnese, which has, in recent years, been the recipient of an almost unparalleled focus of both research and rescue excavation; a fact reflected in the significant contribution made to this year's report by the edited proceedings of the conference The Corinthia and the Northeast Peloponnese: Topography and History from Prehistoric Times until the End of Antiquity (Kissas and Niemeier 2013). A total of 56 individual papers provide details on sites that range in date from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period. A great strength of this collection lies in the contribution of so many current and former staff of the Archaeological Service, and, of the numerous papers that engage directly or indirectly with the archaeology of the Archaic to Roman period, several are discussed in greater depth in the course of this report. A complementary Hesperia supplement detailing the current state of prehistoric and historic research on the Corinthian Isthmus is due to appear before the end of the year (Gebhard and Gregory forthcoming), as is a study of material from Henry Robinson's 1961–1962 excavation in the North Cemetery (Slane forthcoming). The study of religious practice during the Classical period benefits from the publication of the first volume of material from excavations conducted by the Canadian Institute in Greece between 1994 and 2001 in the Sanctuary of Athena at Stymphalos (Schaus 2014a), while the consolidation of synthetic regional studies and individual site reports within Villae Rusticae: Family and Market-oriented Farms in Greece under Roman Rule (Rizakis and Touratsoglou 2013) will no doubt ensure that it becomes a standard text for the study of the rural economy of Roman Greece (see Stewart, this volume).

Chapter III (55)

How Roman Arms Came to Conquer the Successors of Alexander (55)

How Much More Successful Was the Roman Legion than the Macedonian Phalanx? (57)

The Best Soldiers versus the Best Formation (59)

Why the Greeks Were Shocked after Rome’s Domination of Macedon (60)

Final Thoughts on the Impact of Alexander on Polybius’ Work (63)

This book studies six vaulting techniques employed in architecture outside of Rome and asks why they were invented where they were and how they were disseminated. Most of the techniques involve terracotta elements in various forms, such as regular flat bricks, hollow voussoirs, vaulting tubes, and armchair voussoirs. Each one is traced geographically via GIS mapping, the results of which are analyzed in relation to chronology, geography, and historical context. The most common building type in which the techniques appear is the bath, demonstrating its importance as a catalyst for technological innovation. This book also explores trade networks, the pottery industry, and military movements in relation to building construction, revealing how architectural innovation was influenced by wide-ranging cultural factors, many of which stemmed from local influences rather than imperial intervention.

Paper about the use of the fringed cloak in the Roman late-republican portraiture. It displays a full list of the Roman Late-Republican and Augustan portraits wearing a fringed cloak. Usually the were cuirassed or nude portraits. The fringed cloak is identified as a Roman military mantle, id est the lacerna. It was not a chlamys and it was used as a dress code to distinguish a Roman man from a Greek one.

The erection of the monopteros of Roma and Augustus marked a significant transformation of the spatial concept of the Athenian Acropolis, which had remained virtually unchanged for the following centuries since the Periclean building program in the second half of the 5th cent. B.C. Whereas recent research was mainly concerned with the historical contextualization of the monopteros, several problems regarding its archaeological evidence have long been neglected.
This desideratum gave reason to reanalyse the monopteros in its entire spectrum, i.e. in respect of its architecture, its localisation in the spatial and ideal concept of the Acropolis and finally its meaning in the sociopolitical context of Augustan Athens. In contrast to the traditional localisation, the ashlar foundation in the east of the Parthenon must be excluded as the original site of the monopteros, as indicated by the reconstructed stratigraphy. However, due to the lack of firm evidence, the actual location remains unknown. Subsequently the supposed Augustan dating of the repair of the Erechtheum, which is based on a circular argument anyway, must be called into question. The dedication of the monopteros was carried out as an initiative of the Athenian elite in late summer of 19 B.C. and programmatically referred to Augustus‘ diplomatic victory over the Parthians.

This article presents a previously unpublished marble portrait of Octavia, sister of Augustus.  This head, which is in a private French collection, is so close iconographically to another portrait known as the “Velletri Octavia” as to establish more securely Octavia’s portraiture and portrait typology.  The presentation of the Chalmin Octavia also affords us the opportunity to consider the related problematic portraiture of Julia Minor, daughter of Augustus.  A marble portrait of Julia found at Corinth that is discussed here with previously unpublished photos enables us now to clearly distinguish Julia’s portraiture from that of Octavia (as well as of Livia). The Chalmin Octavia, which comes from Athens, seems to have been carved by the same Attic workshop that produced the portrait of Julia from Corinth and other Augustan portrait statues from the so-called Julian Basilica at Corinth. In fact, a stylistic examination reveals that the statue of Augustus’ adopted son Gaius was in all likelihood carved by the same sculptor that produced the Chalmin Octavia.  The subsequent history of this sculpture is also considered because a chiseled channel around the neck indicates an abandoned attempt at removing the head from its bib-like plastron.  Presented in connection with this aspect of the portrait are a few other rare sculptural examples in which “decapitation” was attempted but abandoned.  Not all such decapitations can be attributed to memoria damnata; some merely to reuse.

This paper examines some aspects of the attitudes of the last Antonine emperors towards the illustrious past of Achaea, namely Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus. Selected epigraphic and literary testimonies from the province of Achaea (especially Athens, Eleusis, and Sparta) will be assembled together in order to assess the political behavior of these emperors in relation to the past of the province. For example, especially remarkable is the fact that Commodus was enrolled in an Athenian tribe and took up ancient offices in Athens, while Marcus Aurelius resolved an old territorial dispute in Sparta and conceived important constitutional reforms in Athens, all actions closely connected with the remote past of these cities.     

Several questions will be addressed; first, what did the Greek past mean for these emperors and how did they choose to interact with it? Did the emperors have certain role-models in mind concerning their promotion of the Greek past, and if so, who were they? Did the ‘philhellene’ emperor Nero or the prominent intellectuals Philopappus and Herodes Atticus serve as examples? Furthermore, how did Hadrian influence the attitude of Marcus Aurelius, and he that of his son, Commodus? Finally, what was the impact of imperial actions on the illustrious provincials of the Graeco-Roman East? The answers to these queries will illustrate the power of the local and imperial past in 2nd-century ‘old Greece’. This paper also argues that the promotion of the past in the cities of Achaea was not only an expected conduct in an age of collective historical nostalgia, but also a response to the actions of contemporary and pepaideumenoi emperors, who were conceived of as exempla.

Hadrian’s Arch (also known as Hadrian’s Gate) is one of the most iconic and accessible antique monuments in modern Athens. Built in the 2nd century CE by the Athenians in honor of Hadrian, the landmark contains two inscriptions that appear to equate the emperor with the city’s legendary founder, Theseus. By the time the arch was dedicated in c. 131 CE Hadrian had been an Athenian citizen for two decades and I argue that, by including the two inscriptions, the residents of the polis were honoring him as an Athenian first and as the reigning Roman emperor second. But how and why did the monument survive in such good condition through nearly twenty centuries and multiple ruling regimes?

This paper discusses the motivation(s) behind the dedication of the arch and traces its cultural history from the 2nd century CE to the present. Throughout the centuries, it has served various purposes, including that of an honorary arch, a city gate, probably as a bell tower to a Byzantine-era church, and it has even been replicated in an 18th-century estate in England. The arch has also featured in art, literature, poetry, music, and, in recent years, it has been illuminated in bright colors in order to raise awareness for various social causes. Nevertheless, its most enduring function since the naissance of the Modern Greek state in 1830 has been that of a rendezvous point for both locals and tourists. Hadrian’s Arch is a testament to how the Roman past is not a closed chapter of the history of Athens but is very much alive and a vibrant part of the capital’s contemporary cityscape.

This chapter deals with the impact of Roman legal institutions and political realities of Roman dominance on legal institutions in the Greek world, and with developments of Greek law within the imperial framework from the fall of Corinth to its last traces in late imperial legislation. It addresses in particular the specific characteristics of sources for Greek law in the Roman period, conflicts of jurisdiction between Greek poleis and imperial authorities, the law of personal status in the new imperial context and new developments in the law of property and obligation. The concluding sections deals with the demise of Greek law in late antiquity and its afterlife in late imperial legislation.

The thesis examines the religious topography of Arcadia through two particular aspects: the built and the natural landscape, and how each relates to human communities, their places of living, and their understanding of the world around. It relies on the assumption commonly made in the field that, since ritual practice was of prevalent importance for the Greeks, cult sites are the most important places for the communities, and therefore they can tell us a lot about the people who built, visited and looked after them.

The first part rests on the acknowledgement that sanctuaries are places of interaction for a certain community of cult (which can but need not overlap with a given polis) and explores how they can be indicators of social change, defined here as responses to changes with large impact on the human milieu. These changes and their response articulated in sacred space are identified in four chapters. The first sets the stage and surveys the known sacred sites of Arcadia at the end of the Bronze Age and during the Dark Ages. The second looks at how the building of temples after the eighth century indicates a significant change in the way communities were structured in Arcadia. The third looks at how Arcadian sanctuaries responded to the increased religious mobility of the Classical and Hellenistic period. Finally, chapter four evaluates the impact of the Roman conquest on Arcadian religious sites.

The second part explores how myths and rationalising discourses allowed the Greeks to make sense of the salient characteristics and numen of their surrounding natural landscape. Each of the three chapters departs from a situation observed in Arcadia by ancient sources and examines the responses articulated to explain it. Among the variety of topics to pursue, three have been selected because they exemplify a typical characteristic of Arcadia: its wetness. They also allow spatial areas that were less prominent in part one to be explored. The first chapter explores the apparent contradiction of having infernal rivers observable in the world of the living, such as the Styx flowing in the Aroania Mountains. The second chapter examines the connection made in ancient sources between Poseidon’s lordship over the Peloponnese, earthquakes, floods and cults of Poseidon Hippios in Arcadia. The third and last chapter investigates the attribution of Mycenaean waterworks in Arcadia to Herakles in myth.

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

ΑΕΜΘ 34, 2022

«Παλαιές και νέες θέσεις της Ρωμαϊκής και Ύστερης Ρωμαϊκής περιόδου στην Π.Ε.
Γρεβενών: Ο χαρακτήρας των θέσεων και η κριτική των παλαιότερων αντιλήψεων»

Σ. Γ. Ραπτόπουλος, ΕΦΑ Γρεβενών

      Κατά τις χρονιές 2020-2022, και εν μέσω σημαντικών αλλαγών που σημειώθηκαν στην Δημόσια Διοίκηση εξαιτίας της Πανδημίας, η πραγματοποίηση αυτοψιών στο πλαίσιο της δραστηριότητας του Τμήματος Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων, και στο πλαίσιο εξέτασης των αιτημάτων αδειοδότησης νέων έργων υποδομών, εντός της Π.Ε. Γρεβενών, μας έδωσε την ευκαιρία να επανεξετάσουμε ορισμένες Ρωμαϊκές και ύστερες Ρωμαϊκές αρχαιολογικές θέσεις της περιοχής. Είχαμε, δε, επισκεπτόμενοι τις ήδη γνωστές θέσεις, την ευκαιρία να ανακαλύψουμε ορισμένες νέες, που συμπληρώνουν την εικόνα μας για τα Γρεβενά της Ρωμαϊκής και της Ύστερης Ρωμαϊκής περιόδου.
    Πραγματοποιήθηκαν έρευνες σε αρχαιολογικούς χώρους, που απέδωσαν κυρίως ευρήματα των Ρωμαϊκών Χρόνων  .
    Θέσεις που σχετίζονται με τους ποταμούς και τα ρέματα των Γρεβενών, και περιβάλλουν, κατά κάποιον τρόπο, το βαθύπεδο των Γρεβενών, είναι :
Α) Ο “Βακούφικος Μύλος” Καρπερού, των Ρ. και Υ.Ρ. χρόνων, Ν. Του Αλιάκμονα και στον όχθο του ρέματος Σούτσια. Πιθανολογώ την εκεί εγκατάσταση στρατοπέδου των ρωμαϊκών χρόνων.
Β) Το “Μικρό” (“Ελάφι”) Καρπερού, των Υ.Ρ. χρόνων, στην Ν. Όχθη του Αλιάκμονα. Η θέση έχει σαφώς τον ρόλο οργανωμένου παρατηρητήριου της στρατηγικής σημασίας διάβασης μεταξύ της συμβολής του Αλιάκμονα ποταμού με τον Βενέτικο ποταμό – και του Κάτω Ρου του Αλιάκμονα.
Γ) Το Τρανοβέντζι, των Ρ. χρόνων και της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας, πλησίον της Σμίξης Αλιάκμονα-Βενέτικου. Πρόκειται για κεντρικό οικισμό με αγροτικό χαρακτήρα, στο ευφορώτερο  και παραγωγικότερο σημείο του Κάμπου των Βεντζίων .
Δ) Οι Βατσινιές Ποντινής, των Ρ. Χρόνων, και η Ευρώπολη Ποντινής, των Ρ. Χρόνων, πλησίον του ρέματος της Κνίδης που συμβάλλει στον Γρεβενίτη. Οι Βατσινιές υπήρξαν ο χώρος μιας παραγωγικής έπαυλης  ή αγροτοποιμενικής εγκατάστασης των Αυτοκρατορικών χρόνων, όπως υποδεικνύει η κεραμική, ενώ η Ευρώπολη ενός παρόδιου κτιρίου  κοινωφελούς χρήσης (όπως δείχνουν οι καλής ποιότητας συμπαγείς πλίνθοι και οι μεγάλοι κέραμοι από την θέση).
Ε) Η Αγία Παρασκευή στο Κοσμάτι, όπου κτίριο της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας, με ορατούς δόμους, πλησίον της κοιλάδας του Βενέτικου ποταμού .
ΣΤ) Τα λιθόστρωτα μονοπάτια στην περιοχή Κηπουρειού – Σταυροποτάμου – Αζίζ Αγά, πάλι στην κοιλάδα του Βενέτικου ποταμού.
Ζ) Η Πηγαδίτσα, των Ρ. Και Υ.Ρ. χρόνων, στον όχθο του Βλαχοπόταμου και πριν την συμβολή προς τον Βενέτικο ποταμό (η θέση του σημερινού Κοιμητηρίου). Και εδώ έχουμε την θέση ενός οργανωμένου παρατηρητήριου μιας στρατηγικής σημασίας διάβασης προς τους οικισμούς της κεντρικής κοιλάδας του σημερινού οικισμού των Γρεβενών.
Η) Το Κάστρο, των Υ.Ρ. Χρόνων (“οχυρωμένο ΥΡ οικισμό” το θέλει ο Rosser), κοντά στην ομώνυμη γέφυρα, στο ρέμα που συμβάλλει με τον Γρεβενίτη ποταμό. Πρόκειται για την καλύτερα οχυρωμένη και προστατευμένη θέση από αυτές που περιλαμβάνονται στην παρούσα εισήγηση.
Θ) Ο Άγιος Δημήτριος Άνοιξης, των Υ.Ρ. Χρόνων, επί του ρέματος Σούτσια. Στα Δ. της εκκλησίας του Αγίου Δημητρίου είναι ορατά ίχνη θεμελίων και επιχώσεις του οικισμού, ίσως του σημαντικότερου οικισμού στην σημερινή κοιλάδα του Καρπερού – Κατάκαλης.
Ι) Ο Άγιος Δημήτριος Σύδενδρου, στο ρέμα Σύδενδρου, στο βαθύπεδο των Γρεβενών. Σώζονται λίγα ίχνη από τον αρχικό περίβολο, αλλά ο χαρακτήρας του οχυρού παρατηρητήριου, στον λόφο της σημερινής εκκλησίας, είναι και εδώ εμφανής .

    Οι χώροι αυτοί είναι μέρος ενός μεγάλου δικτύου, γύρω από την σημερινή πόλη των Γρεβενών, και περιβάλλουν τον χώρο της σημερινής πόλης , η παλαιότερη μνεία της οποίας βρίσκεται στα οθωμανικά αρχεία του 16ου αι. .
    Μέχρι στιγμής, γενικώς αποδεκτή ήταν η άποψη των Rosser και Wilkie, ότι οι φυσικώς οχυρές θέσεις της Π.Ε. Γρεβενών επανακατοικούνται κατά την Υ.Ρ. περίοδο, ενώ κατά τις προηγούμενες  (Ρεπουμπλικάνικη και Αυτοκρατορική Ρωμαϊκή) περιόδους, οι οικισμοί κατελάμβαναν  κυρίως πεδινούς χώρους.
    Αρχαιολογικές θέσεις όπως το Τρανοβέτζι, ο Βακούφικος Μύλος, η Πηγαδίτσα, οι Βατσινιές και η Ευρώπολη Ποντινής, απέδωσαν κεραμικά ευρήματα των Αυτοκρατορικών Ρωμαϊκών χρόνων, μαζί με εκείνα των Ύστερων Ρωμαϊκών χρόνων.
  Πέριξ του Αλιάκμονα, του Γρεβενίτη, του Βενέτικου και των ρεμάτων τους, θέσεις όπως ο Βακούφικος Μύλος  και ο γειτονικός του Άγιος Αθανάσιος , (εικ. 2β) που καταλαμβάνουν εκτεταμένα λοφοειδή πλατώματα, είναι μάλλον θέσεις αγροικιών και/ή στρατοπέδων ρωμαϊκών λεγεώνων, της Ρεπουμπλικάνικης και της Αυτοκρατορικής ρωμαϊκής περιόδου, και φανερώνουν την αναγκαιότητα της δημιουργίας πληθυσμιακών πυρήνων σε μία ύπαιθρο τρωθείσα από τους Μακεδονικούς Πολέμους, όπου κάποιοι παλαιότεροι οικισμοί είχαν εκλείψει.
    Στο ίδιο πλαίσιο θα πρέπει να αντιμετωπίσουμε ερμηνευτικά τις εγκαταστάσεις στο Τρανοβέντζι, την Πηγαδίτσα – αλλά και σε μια νέα θέση, τις Βατσινιές Ποντινής. Πρόκειται για χώρους κοντά σε πηγές / υδάτινους πόρους / κοιλάδες, με στοιχεία οχύρωσης αλλά δίχως τα χαρακτηριστικά της απόκρημνης θέσης : Δεν πρόκειται για “πεδία δίπλα σε ποταμούς”, όπως τις ήθελαν οι Rosser και Wilkie, αλλά μάλλον για φυσικώς προστατευμένα πολίσματα με αγροτικό χαρακτήρα, αλλά και με ρόλο στην προστασία των τοπικών πληθυσμών. Πρόκειται, επομένως, για οιονεί προμαχώνες της πόλης των Γρεβενών. Εάν, όπως δείχνουν τα κεραμικά ευρήματα και έχει προοιωνίσει ο Σαμσάρης, οι οικισμοί αυτοί έχουν μία μακρά παρουσία, από τους Ελληνιστικούς στους Ρωμαϊκούς - και στους ύστερους Ρωμαϊκούς χρόνους, τότε δικαιούμαστε να υποθέσουμε ότι και ο οικισμός των Γρεβενών έχει μία αντίστοιχα μεγάλη ιστορία, έστω και αν τα ευρήματα για να το αποδείξουμε ελλείπουν προς το παρόν.
  Ένα άλλο ενδιαφέρον στοιχείο είναι ο χαρακτήρας των θέσεων, που παρουσιάζει αξιοσημείωτη ποικιλομορφία. Ξεκινώντας από την περιφερειακή οικονομική μονάδα (στρατόπεδο ; αγροικία ;) του Βακούφικου Μύλου, περνούμε στους μικρούς οχυρωμένους οικισμούς δίπλα στις υδάτινες / οδικές αρτηρίες [“Μικρό / Ελάφι”, “Πηγαδίτσα”, “Κάστρο”, “Άγιος Δημήτριος Σύδενδρου” (όπου και έχουν βρεθεί στο παρελθόν ρωμαϊκές επιτύμβιες στήλες) ] – κι' από 'κεί, στους μεγαλύτερους οικισμούς με αγροτικό χαρακτήρα, πόλους έλξης πληθυσμών [“Τρανοβέντζι” (από τον γειτονικό του οικισμό Κέντρο προέρχεται η περίφημη σαρκοφάγος με τον Πήγασο και τον Βελλερεφόντη, ενώ ρωμαϊκές επιτύμβιες στήλες έχουν βρεθεί στους κοντινούς Αιγαλέους ), “Άγιος Δημήτριος Άνοιξης”] και σε πιθανά λατρευτικά κέντρα (“Αγία Παρασκευή Κοσματίου”).
      Νέες θέσεις, όπως οι Βατσινιές και η Μεγάλη Ευρώπολη Ποντινής, είναι ακόμη αδιευκρίνιστου χαρακτήρα (μάλλον μαρτυρούν την ύπαρξη μικρών αγροτικών εγκαταστάσεων, η ίδρυση των οποίων πρέπει να τοποθετηθεί σε σχετικά πρώϊμες εποχές -στους Αυτοκρατορικούς Ρωμαϊκούς χρόνους) .
    Όλες οι παραπάνω θέσεις, παρ' όλο που θα μπορούσαν να χαρακτηρισθούν “ανοιχτοί χώροι” (“πεδιάδες, διάσελα, κοιλάδες, πεδία”, όπως λέει ο Rosser), δεν “εγκαταλείπονται στους Ύστερους Ρωμαϊκούς χρόνους “...
Τα λιθόστρωτα μονοπάτια, στην περιοχή Κηπουρειού – Σταυροπατήματος – Αζίζ Αγά δείχνουν ότι ένα οδικό δίκτυο συνέδεε αυτές τις κοντινές στα Γρεβενά θέσεις (στο Κηπουρειό είχαν παλαιότερα εντοπισθεί τάφοι της Ρωμαϊκής περιόδου).
    Ο ποικίλος χαρακτήρας των θέσεων απηχεί την πολυπλοκότητα των οικονομικών σχέσεων της κεντρικής πόλης της περιοχής, εκείνης που θα κατελάμβανε την θέση των σημερινών Γρεβενών, ακόμη και σε μια εποχή που αντιστοιχεί στο ναδίρ της Μακεδονίας – εποχή ένταξης, μετά την μάχη της Πύδνας, στη ρωμαϊκή “Μερίδα” της Τυμφαίας και στην μετέπειτα Ρωμαϊκή Επαρχία της Μακεδονίας  -  όταν η ανάπτυξη ήταν ένα ζητούμενο και η ζωή ιδιαίτερα δύσκολη.

ΑΕΜΘ 34, 2022, Σ.Ραπτόπουλος

ΒΙΒΛΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ
Α.Χ.ΓΕΩΡΓΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ,  Διαλυμένοι οικισμοί του Νομού Γρεβενών, Γρεβενά 2006
Γ.ΚΑΡΑΜΗΤΡΟΥ, Δ.ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΥ, Από την έρευνα στο Φράγμα Ιλαρίωνα: Η ανασκαφή σε Μέγα – Άη-Γιώργη και Άγιο Κωνσταντίνο Δήμητρας Γρεβενών, ΑΕΑΜ Ι, 2009, 109-125
Ε.ΠΑΠΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ, Σ.ΡΑΠΤΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ,  Δύο ισλαμικές επιτύμβιες στήλες από το χωριό Αγάπη (Ράτσι) Γρεβενών. Παρέμβαση 196-7, 2020, 71-79
J.ROSSER, Roman Grevena,  6th Int. Symposium “Ancient Macedonia”, vol.2, 979-986
Δ.Κ.ΣΑΜΣΑΡΗ,  Ιστορική Γεωγραφία της Ρωμαϊκής Επαρχίας Μακεδονίας, Μακεδονική Βιβλιοθήκη 70, Θεσσαλονίκη 1989
N.C.WILKIE, The Grevena Project, 5th International Symposium, Ancient Macedonia VI, 3, 1747-1754

This study analyses the types and use contexts of ceramic roof tiles in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Despite ceramic roof tiles being one of the most frequent finds from archaeological excavations and surveys of this period from the Mediterranean area, they have not received much interest in research. In particular, the study of plain, undecorated, or unstamped tiles has been extremely limited considering the volume of material found.

This study looks at roof tile assemblages from three different excavations across the eastern Mediterranean from northern Greece and from the environs of Petra in Jordan. Based on this body of material, and collecting comparative evidence from published research, the study builds a picture of the types of roof tiles used in the area during the Roman period. By doing this, it addresses a sizable gap in our knowledge on the typological development and regional distribution of roof tile types in the study area. Chronologically, the research covers a period from the 1st to the 5th centuries CE, coinciding with the Roman dominance in the area. Spatially, it reaches from Roman Greece to the Roman Near East. 

In this study, methods typically applied in the study of plain pottery have been adapted to this material, namely the study of forms (typology) and the study of fabrics (compositional analysis). Typology is used as the key explanatory tool for the material. In addition, the study uses x-ray fluorescence (microXRF) to analyse the composition of the tile fabrics from one of the assemblages, in order to study the particulars of the production process.

The results shed new light on the practice of roof tiling in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, on regional types and variations of tile types in the Roman period, and on societal aspects related to tile production and use. Despite the conservatism apparent in the general forms, the study recognizes potential typological traits in the Roman-period tile types. Moreover, it highlights the regional variation present in this seemingly uniform material. The study confirms that the tile types used in this area are derivatives of earlier eastern types, rather than emulations of Roman types, and an adherence to the use of the specific combinations of pan and cover tiles that originally defined the early Greek tile systems (Laconian, Corinthian, and hybrid) continues throughout the period under study.

The data underlying the research does not currently allow for the development of full regional typologies, but a preliminary hypothesis is formed about the tile regions in the study area for the Roman period. Three separate macro regions are identified, based on the types of tile used, corresponding roughly to Roman Greece, Roman Asia Minor, and the Roman Near East.

In addition to defining tile regions and types, the study reveals a large variation in the use contexts of roof tiles in this area during the Roman period, which is reflected in the presence and frequency of tiles in the archaeological landscape. In summary, while frequent in the Greek archaeological record of the Roman period, ceramic tile has a very low to minimal penetration into the Roman-period countryside of the Near East, in particular in southern Levant. In this area, tile use contexts are limited to public urban and grander domestic architecture.

The results clearly indicate that with improved documentation of tile assemblages, valuable new data would become available for archaeological research in this area.

During the late third and early second centuries BC Rome’s empire expanded immensely. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the changes in coinage both during and after Roman military activity throughout the Mediterranean basin, and then to determine how these changes illustrate Rome’s economic philosophy when considering provincial coinage. Iberia, Sicily, and Greece will be utilised as case studies for this thesis, each demonstrating a unique numismatic reaction to their incorporation into the Roman empire. Additionally, this thesis will explore the Mediterranean’s active Market economy during the second century BC, and both the history of Roman coinage, and the contemporary numismatic situation occurring within Rome during the second century BC. By presenting these case studies this thesis demonstrates that ancient coinage is a tangible piece of evidence for the analysis of how Rome perceived their role as an Imperial power, and the power dynamic in relation to the provincial people which accompanied it. Further, coinage is brought forward as a valuable source of evidence during a period where contemporary historical literature is scarce, and therefore, the numismatic record brings to light the local monetary response to their developing political environment.

SOMMARIO

D. Levi, Il pritaneo e la Tholos di Atene

D. Levi, L'antro delle Ninfe e di Pan a Farsalo in Tessaglia

G. Gerola, Fermenia (Kythnos - Thermjà)

A. Maiuri, Jalisos - Scavi della Missione Archeologica Italiana a Rodi (Parte I e II)

B. Pace, Ricerche nella Regione di Colia, Adania e Scalanova

G. Moretti, La porta di Adriano in Adalia

G. Moretti, Sculture in Adalia

G. Moretti, In-Daghindà Qogia-In

G. Moretti, Le grotte sacre di Iuvadjà

G. Moretti, Hissar-Dagh = Montagna della fortezza. Panemouteichos?

R. Scuola Archeologica Italiana in Atene: Atti della Scuola (1923-1924)

Elenco delle tavole
Elenco delle figure nel testo
Indice delle materie

Tavole

By investigating the works of Polybius and Livy, we can discuss an important aspect of the impact of Alexander upon the reputation and image of Rome. Because of the subject of their histories and the political atmosphere in which they were writing - these authors, despite their generally positive opinions of Alexander, ultimately created scenarios where they portrayed the Romans as superior to the Macedonian king. This study has five primary goals: to produce a commentary on the various Alexander passages found in Polybius’ and Livy’s histories; to establish the generally positive opinion of Alexander held by these two writers; to illustrate that a noticeable theme of their works is the ongoing comparison between Alexander and Rome; to demonstrate Polybius’ and Livy’s belief in Roman superiority, even over Alexander; and finally to create an understanding of how this motif influences their greater narratives and alters our appreciation of their works.

In Isis in a Global Empire, Lindsey Mazurek explores the growing popularity of Egyptian gods and its impact on Greek identity in the Roman Empire. Bringing together archaeological, art historical, and textual evidence, she demonstrates how the diverse devotees of gods such as Isis and Sarapis considered Greek ethnicity in ways that differed significantly from those of the Greek male elites whose opinions have long shaped our understanding of Roman Greece. These ideas were expressed in various ways - sculptures of Egyptian deities rendered in a Greek style, hymns to Isis that grounded her in Greek geography and mythology, funerary portraits that depicted devotees dressed as Isis, and sanctuaries that used natural and artistic features to evoke stereotypes of the Nile. Mazurek's volume offers a fresh, material history of ancient globalization, one that highlights the role that religion played in the self-identification of provincial Romans and their place in the Mediterranean world.

The sixth-century mint of Thessalonica offers one of the most interesting cases of localized circulation and Mediterranean-wide distribution. It has been repeatedly suggested that the main purpose of the moneta publica of Thessalonica was to meet the needs of the Macedonian metropolis and to supply the Danube frontier in northern Illyricum. The activity of the mint itself, seen through hoarding and casual loss, was closely connected to barbarian invasions and military activity in the Balkans. However, minting agenda at Thessalonica seems to have been a lot more complex. The evidence shows that Justinian’s irregular 16-nummia and its fractions traveled long distances to destinations from three different continents. Moreover, the adopting of mainstream denominations after 562 led to an even wider distribution of Thessalonica’s coinage, found in a variety of urban and rural contexts around the Mediterranean. What were the main channels of distribution? Can the circulation of Thessalonican coins be attributed exclusively to the army or should we consider additional explanations, such as the long-distance movement of people and goods in the Mediterranean world? These are some of the questions discussed in this paper along with the broader historical implications of monetary circulation in Late Antiquity.

This paper focuses on how Roman commanders, while still overseas and in the field, managed the capitulation of the defeated enemy in preparation for triumph. Lucius Mummius’ deeds in Greece as consul and proconsul after the sack of Corinth offer some of the best evidence concerning the delicate questions that faced Roman commanders when assembling the booty: what artworks should be removed and shipped to Rome (and Italy) as evidence of victory, and what should be left in situ in order to avert the ongoing resentment of the Greek communities. Several documents and anecdotes describe Mummius’ activity and convey different attitudes towards him. The role of these artworks in his political plans, both in Italy and overseas, reveal a complex pattern from which we can identify their key-role in the aftermath of the Achaean war (146 BC). First, he razed Corinth and punished a great number of Achaean and Beotian towns by removing some of their artworks. Then, he not only offered many artifacts as ornamenta to the temples in the urbs or to the local communities in Italy, but he also relocated some statues in Greece to benefit sanctuaries and cities which had supported Rome during the war. Moreover, Mummius usually abstained from removing the anathemata, although some he rededicated in his name to the gods. At the end of the article Mummius’ conduct is compared to Scipio Aemilianus’ policy of repatriation of anathemata stolen by the Carthaginians and to the use of Greek artworks by Octavian after Actium.

Die Quintilier sind zweifellos die berühmteste und am besten dokumentierte Familie aus Alexandria Troas. Insbesondere die letzten vier Generationen haben durch ihre Tätigkeit in der römischen Reichsverwaltung, ihre engen Verbindungen zu den Kaisern und Geistesgrößen ihrer Zeit, ihr literarisches Wirken sowie ihren ausgedehnten Villenbesitz mannigfaltige Spuren hinterlassen. Eine willkommene Bereicherung fand unser Quellenmaterial vor Kurzem durch drei neue Inschriften vom alexandrinischen Forum, die 2008 und 2016 von E. Schwertheim veröffentlicht wurden und Auskunft über zwei frühe, zuvor unbekannte Quintilier geben sowie einen nicht näher zu greifenden Κυιντίλ[ιος] der hohen Kaiserzeit nennen. +++ Damit sind inzwischen acht Familienmitglieder sicher bekannt: ein P. Quintilius Maximus und seine Tochter Quintilia Apphia in iulisch-claudischer Zeit, ein Sex. Quintilius Valerius Maximus und sein gleichnamiger Sohn in der Zeit von den Flaviern bis Hadrian sowie die beiden nachfolgenden und bekanntesten Generationen mit jeweils einem Sex. Quintilius Valerius Maximus und einem Sex. Quintilius Condianus in der Antoninenzeit. Hinzu kommt der Vater des ältesten Sex. Quintilius Valerius Maximus, von dem aber leider nur sein Vorname Sextus überliefert ist. +++ Die epigraphischen Neufunde nahm ich zum Anlass, die Familiengeschichte erneut aufzurollen und erstmals einen ausführlichen Gesamtüberblick in deutscher Sprache vorzulegen. Der bislang ungeklärten Frage nach der origo der Quintilier widmet sich der erste Abschnitt, der zwar keine eindeutige Antwort zu liefern vermag, aber zumindest drei mögliche Szenarien aufzeigt und diese hinsichtlich ihrer Plausibilität überprüft. Die nachfolgenden Ausführungen orientieren sich an der chronologischen Abfolge, wobei der fünfte Abschnitt auch eine Darstellung zum reichen Familienbesitz enthält. Die Schlussbemerkung richtet ihren Blick schließlich auf das Verhältnis zwischen den Quintiliern und ihrer langjährigen Heimatgemeinde Alexandria Troas.

in: Bürger-Ethos, politisches Engagement und die Bewahrung des Status Quo. Plutarch, Politische Ratschläge. Eingeleitet, übersetzt und mit interpretierenden Essays versehen von Frank Daubner, Vera Hofmann, Gustav Adolf Lehmann und Tobias Thum. Hg v. Gustav Adolf Lehmann (SAPERE XXXV), Tübingen 2020, 183-213.

The early Augustan Age witnessed an increase in building activities and overall interest in mainland Greece which has primarily been understood from the perspective of Roman appropriation of Greek culture, or from that of local Greek independence and “re-Hellenization.” Taking late Republican Athens as an extensive case study, this article shows that, when moving beyond either a top-down or bottom-up vision, developments in the late Republican and early Augustan Age can be properly contextualized as being part of a continuous strategy of Roman leaders and the Athenian elite to negotiate power and influence within a shared field of references.

This paper offers some reflections on the ceramic evidence from Greek rural sites of the Roman period (1st c. BC to ca. 7th c. AD), as reported in the papers of this volume. Its purpose is to highlight a number of themes that emerge from them in relation to pottery as a tool for understanding rural settlement in Roman Greece in its broader social, economic and cultural context. The discussion begins with an investigation of the nature of Roman pottery assemblages from rural sites based on the evidence from both excavation and survey presented in this volume. In the second part, it deals with the use of pottery for site classification and addresses the question of differences in the pottery supply between town and country. In the third part, discussion turns to the use of pottery types and vessels particular to rural sites and explores how these might help us understand the character and organization of the activities performed there. The fourth part collects and discusses the evidence for pottery production in the countryside during the Roman period reported in the papers of this volume and addresses some of its socio-economic implications. The brief examination of these themes shows the need for a more systematic study and publication of pottery from excavated rural sites of the Roman period that can contribute to wider discussions about the organization and evolution of rural settlement in Roman Greece.

This paper surveys archaeological work on Greek sanctuaries of the Roman period conducted over the past 20 years. Previously largely ignored or simply overlooked, in recent times the Roman phases of sanctuaries have seen a tremendous amount of excavation and research work, mirroring the increased interest in the archaeology of Roman Greece as a whole. In addition to brief presentations of new and recent archaeological discoveries and material studies, this survey also aims to highlight the importance of current work based on the re-examination of sites excavated long ago and the contribution of various strands of archaeological evidence to an enhanced understanding of the history and function of Greek sanctuaries from the time of the Roman conquest to Late Antiquity.