Historical sources create an image that Rome was a city full of skyscrapers at the peak of the Roman empire. History also tells us that Rome inherited restrictions concerning the height of...Show moreHistorical sources create an image that Rome was a city full of skyscrapers at the peak of the Roman empire. History also tells us that Rome inherited restrictions concerning the height of buildings (Storey 2008, 8). However, Historical sources have the tendency to be biased, leading to an incorrect vision (King 2017, 3). This leads to historical sources offering narratives that archaeology must correct or dispute. Therefore, this thesis questions what archaeological sources state concerning the height and distribution of Roman buildings in Rome? The height of Roman buildings cannot be measured solely by archaeological sources. So instead, I will mainly be utilizing a map called the Forma Urbis Romae (FUR) as the archaeological visualization of staircases and high-rises. This map displays all the insulae and staircases in Rome in the beginning of the third century AD However, only 10 to 15% exists. By means of a typology of symbols presented as staircases and the spread of these symbols displayed in an edited version of the slab map of the FUR, an interpretation is made of high-rises. The typology includes the symbol “V” with transverse bars in it, with the spaces between the transverse bars being interpreted as floors within a building. A determination of the concept of a high-rise for Roman standards must be set. High-rises tower above the ordinary height of buildings and should be detectable in the urban landscape. The few archaeological remains form the basis of the height per floor, suggesting that the height per floor should be estimated at 3 to 3.5 meter. Based on these heights per floor, the multifloored buildings present on the map are interpreted to range from 6 to 31,5 meters. With a high-rise defined by a minimum of a 3 floored building of 12 to 14 meters. These high-rises are not very abundantly visible in the distribution of Rome and the tallest high-rises are particularly exceptional. These high-rises are only relatively sporadically distributed in small clusters and evade elevated areas. These results point out that archaeological results show a different image than what historical implyShow less
Welke relaties bestaan er tussen de Romein en de hond, welke inzichten in de Romeinse samenleving verschaffen deze relaties en hoe verhouden die zich met hoe men tegenwoordig in Nederland met...Show moreWelke relaties bestaan er tussen de Romein en de hond, welke inzichten in de Romeinse samenleving verschaffen deze relaties en hoe verhouden die zich met hoe men tegenwoordig in Nederland met honden omgaat? Deze hoofdvraag onderzoek ik in drie categoriën. De eerste gaat over de daadwerkelijke omgang met honden, de tweede over verhalen over de (gedeeltelijke) transformatie van mens in hond en de laatste categorie gaat over de rol van honden in de bovennatuur. De daadwerkelijke omgang gaat over de relatie tussen hond en baas, of het nu om waakhonden of schoothonden gaat, de puppytijd of juist het overlijden van het dier. Het transformatiegedeelte zal gaan over alles wat tussen het menselijke en het dierlijke in zit, met name weerwolven en cynocefalen. Deze categorie is zeer interessant voor de perceptie van de Romein van de hond, omdat er hier sprake is van mythes over hybridewezens die mens noch dier zijn, maar iets ertussenin. Deze verhalen geven extra inzicht in wat nu eigenlijk mens-zijn definieert. De goddelijke categorie zal gaan over goden die met honden worden geassocieerd, honden als attribuut hebben en de rol die honden spelen in verband met de bovennatuur. Deze drie thema’s samen geven ons een inkijkje in de antieke samenleveing. Ze geven inzicht in hoe men tegenover dieren, goden en zichzelf staat. In combinatie met elkaar werpen de thema’s licht op hoe men denkt over de verschillen tussen mens en dier, hoe menselijke eigenschappen worden geprojecteerd op dieren en of de godenwereld door de alledaagse realiteit wordt vormgegeven. Of anders gezegd, het geeft ons iets meer inzicht in het antieke menselijke gedrag en ook het denken, door zowel verhalen en ideeën als de werkelijkheid te bekijken.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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2018-02-01T00:00:00Z, 2018-02-01T00:00:00Z
The building of the Via Appia was ordered in 312 BC by Censor Appius Claudius Caecus. It was a remarkable project for several reasons: first, it was uncommon for a censor to have this type of power...Show moreThe building of the Via Appia was ordered in 312 BC by Censor Appius Claudius Caecus. It was a remarkable project for several reasons: first, it was uncommon for a censor to have this type of power, but more importantly: never before had such a durable and great road been built. It first led to Terracina, a stretch with unparalleled straightness, then to Capua and to Brindisi. It was built with innovative techniques. The poet Statius called it ‘Regina Viarum’ (Statius Silvae II.II.12): the Queen of Roads. Today, it is the only surviving ancient road leaving Rome that is a place of public interest. This thesis is a biography of the sometimes turbulent past of the Via Appia Antica. It researches how the road has become what it is today by writing about the most important time periods that have influenced the layout of the road, but also its Romantic atmosphere. The road has been in use continuously up to the present day, although for different purposes. During the Roman Republic and the Empire, it was used for travel, funerals, transport and military missions. In the Middle Ages, it became both a destination for Christian pilgrimage and a gold mine for reusable materials. The destruction and robbing of the ancient structures was at its peak during the Renaissance: Europeans came to Rome and brought home enormous amounts of art and antiquities to refurnish their palaces. In the sixteenth century the Via Appia was abandoned when high taxes discouraged its travellers and the Via Appia Nuova was built. Nevertheless, the road endured and received renewed attention during Romanticism with the ‘Grand Tour’ of wealthy Europeans. In its state of decay, the Via Appia was popularly painted and it has left us with a great record of eighteenth and nineteenth century paintings. Today, the road looks the way it does in these paintings: it has responded to the Romantic ideal. Now the Via Appia is a place of residency and recreation. It is used for hiking, cycling and picknicking, but also, at night, for illegal activities. The stakeholders of the road today vary and have conflicting interests. Although a usual biography tells the history of a person, an object or a landscape, this thesis goes the extra mile by also dedicating a chapter to the current state of the road, which is just as much part of the ancient ‘regina viarum’ as any other period of time.Show less
Dit werk poogt een bijdrage te leveren aan onze kennis over de rol die Rome kende na het invoeren van de tetrarchie en de rol die uiteindelijk voor haar overbleef in het Rijk van Constantijn....Show moreDit werk poogt een bijdrage te leveren aan onze kennis over de rol die Rome kende na het invoeren van de tetrarchie en de rol die uiteindelijk voor haar overbleef in het Rijk van Constantijn. Hierbij wordt gekeken naar de opkomende steden, de senaat en de monumentalisering van de tetrarchen.Show less
Stereotyering is iets van alle tijden. Wat veroorzaakte negatieve stereotiepe gedachten bij de antieke Romein? Om te kijken in hoeverre moderne gedachten over dit onderwerp overeen komen met de...Show moreStereotyering is iets van alle tijden. Wat veroorzaakte negatieve stereotiepe gedachten bij de antieke Romein? Om te kijken in hoeverre moderne gedachten over dit onderwerp overeen komen met de oudheid, wordt er gekeken naar de vorming van stereotypen over Germanen en gehandicapten.Show less
This thesis explores the biography of the Dying Niobid, a fifth century BC Greek statue that was found in Rome. Previous research on Greek sculptural art has mainly focussed on the objects as a...Show moreThis thesis explores the biography of the Dying Niobid, a fifth century BC Greek statue that was found in Rome. Previous research on Greek sculptural art has mainly focussed on the objects as a representation of the Classical Greek period. When looking at the Dying Niobid it becomes clear that this sculpture, one among a great body of Greek sculptures brought to Rome, has functioned in more than one context throughout its life, the ‘Greek’ context being just one of them. Therefore the question to be asked must no longer be what does the object represent, but what does it do in these different contexts? With the object as point of departure, this research will focus on the “active” role of the Dying Niobid in terms of power, influence and agency. To enable this, the main objective for this thesis is to apply a fundamentally different approach and methodology to Greek sculptures in Rome; a “cultural biographical approach” to objects. Through the methodology of the cultural biography, it is possible to take all of the contexts in which the object has functioned in consideration and reconstruct the way in which the agency and power of the object can change and accumulate throughout its existence. Exploring the biography of the Niobid leads us through different functions and appropriations of Greek art. From a fifth century BC Apollo temple in Greece, the story of the Niobid leads to Rome; the Temple of Apollo Sosianus, a Republican temple restored in Augustan times and further on to the Horti Sallustiani, a garden. In the realms of this garden the Niobid was excavated in 1906, followed by a series of events and political dispute concerning the statue. At the present the Dying Niobid still functions in Rome, on display in the Museo Nazionale Romano; Palazzo Massimo. This case-study is placed in a theoretical framework of symmetrical archaeology. Through this framework the aim is to achieve symmetry between not only the importance of the role of things, humans and other entities within each context, but also between the different life phases of the object. This will enable us to say something on the changes of meaning and agency of the object throughout time and space, and add to the wider debate on the role of Greek objects in the Roman world.Show less
In deze thesis wordt een analyse gedaan naar Romeinse keizerlijke militaire representatie vanaf keizer Augustus tot en met keizer Commodus. Aan de hand van drie soorten media, namelijk munten,...Show moreIn deze thesis wordt een analyse gedaan naar Romeinse keizerlijke militaire representatie vanaf keizer Augustus tot en met keizer Commodus. Aan de hand van drie soorten media, namelijk munten, standbeelden en monumenten wordt een analyse gemaakt in hoeverre er sprake was van een 'imitatio Augusti' wat betreft de keizerlijke militaire representatie voor de militaire representatie van andere keizers die na keizer Augustus regeerden.Show less
In de Romeinse keizertijd waren er een aantal geheime diensten die door de jaren heen gebruikt werden door de keizers om macht uit te kunnen oefenen. De Frumentarii, Agentes in Rebus en Schola...Show moreIn de Romeinse keizertijd waren er een aantal geheime diensten die door de jaren heen gebruikt werden door de keizers om macht uit te kunnen oefenen. De Frumentarii, Agentes in Rebus en Schola Notarii waren drie groepen spionnen die werden ingezet om informatie te vergaren voor hun machthebbers, vooral over de ver gelegen Romeinse provincies, welke lastig te besturen waren zonder informatie over de huidige situaties daar. Door de jaren heen veranderden de functies en de samenstellingen van deze drie groepen echter. Door externe en interne factoren, zoals oorlogen of een nieuwe keizer, werden de groepen kleiner gemaakt, opgeheven, vervangen, kregen ze meer macht en/of werden ze voor nieuwe dingen ingezet.Show less
Moreel is essentieel in een militaire context, en er zijn vele factoren die het beïnvloeden. Deze scriptie gaat in op de factor religie, en welke invloed het had op het moreel van Romeinse troepen....Show moreMoreel is essentieel in een militaire context, en er zijn vele factoren die het beïnvloeden. Deze scriptie gaat in op de factor religie, en welke invloed het had op het moreel van Romeinse troepen. Dit wordt gedaan aan de hand van antieke literatuur. Vier types religieus handelen worden in deze scriptie behandeld: divinatie, epifanie, offer en gebed. In de analyse wordt vastgesteld welke vormen van religie het belangrijkst waren, en in welke situaties dit het geval was.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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Central to this thesis is an object from Rome dating to the fourth century CE, the so-called Hylas panel from the ‘Basilica of Iunius Bassus'. This object is usually categorized under the heading...Show moreCentral to this thesis is an object from Rome dating to the fourth century CE, the so-called Hylas panel from the ‘Basilica of Iunius Bassus'. This object is usually categorized under the heading of ‘Aegyptiaca’; Egyptian or Egyptianizing objects that, due to their style, provenance or iconography, are assumed to be connected with Egypt or ‘Egypt as an idea’. This thesis, in the first place, intends to add to existing debates concerning this Late Roman ‘Aegyptiacum’, asking questions about the way it functioned in its fourth century CE context, with a specific interest in its ‘Egyptian’ dimensions. Furthermore, it attempts to provide a better understanding of 'Egypt' as a cultural concept in fourth century CE Rome by applying recent theoretical insights on 'cultural biography' and material agency.Show less
In this thesis the creation and appearance of Joan Blaeu’s town atlas of the city and monuments of Rome, the Admiranda Urbis Romæ, are treated. In the first part the social-historic context related...Show moreIn this thesis the creation and appearance of Joan Blaeu’s town atlas of the city and monuments of Rome, the Admiranda Urbis Romæ, are treated. In the first part the social-historic context related to the appearance of the town atlas is discussed: relevant elements for the interest in Italy in the second half of the seventeenth century were taken into consideration (Humanism, the collecting of antiquities, Grand Tour). The flourishing of Dutch publishing in this period has also been treated, in particular the emergence of the Blaeu firm in Amsterdam. In the second phase of the research focus was shifted towards the town atlas of Rome. Its goal, contents and intended audience, as well as the relationships with Italian sponsors and the collaboration of the Blaeu firm with their Italian contacts were discussed. After a description of the characteristics of the original Blaeu edition, in the final part of the thesis later editions by other publishers were treated. A conclusion was then reached about the development of a subtly changing perspective on Rome as witnessed through the various editions of the town atlas of Rome; the relations between the Netherlands and Italy in the second half of the seventeenth century were a guiding theme through the entire research.Show less
In this thesis I have investigated the reasons for which Romans appropriated foreign material culture, in which conditions and what happened with it after was brought in Rome during the Late...Show moreIn this thesis I have investigated the reasons for which Romans appropriated foreign material culture, in which conditions and what happened with it after was brought in Rome during the Late Republic (second and first century B.C.). Moreover, what kind of material culture was taken and why were these specific objects chosen and not others. My main focus was to understand the appropriation of foreign material culture and how did it influenced the Republic. It is very difficult to define the three cultures, but an attempt had been made in order to explain the concepts and how do they interact with each other. Before studying the influence of the foreign material culture, definitions have been given to the concepts used in this thesis. I have studied the Greek material culture and its impact on the Roman people, on the architecture of temples and on the Roman culture. Using the temple of Apollo Sosianus as an example, the Greek material culture used in its decoration has been studied, but also the Egyptian motifs which occur. It is a significant temple of this period of time due to its many restorations which can be observed in the material preserved. This thesis is exploring the Egyptian material culture brought during the Late Republic. This is often mentioned by the ancient writers, but the results of different excavations did not brought such aspects to life. One can considered that through the cult of the goddess Isis, many Egyptian objects can be found. The similarities and differences between the appropriated Greek and Egyptian material culture have been also discussed. As an example, most of the valuable statues and goods were used to adorn the city and to please the Senate, reassuring in the same time the generals position and privileges, but this was not the case for the Egyptian material culture.Show less
This thesis investigated the spatial organisation and functional patterning of the rooms of the Oppian pavilion of the Domus Aurea, which was built by Emperor Nero in AD 60-68. The study uses a...Show moreThis thesis investigated the spatial organisation and functional patterning of the rooms of the Oppian pavilion of the Domus Aurea, which was built by Emperor Nero in AD 60-68. The study uses a combination of an analysis of the decorative programme of the Domus as published by Meyboom and Moormann in ‘Le Decorazioni Dipinte e Marmoree Della Domus Aurea di Nerone a Roma’ (2013), and an analysis of the spatial organisation of the building using Space Syntax techniques. The Oppian pavilion has never been subject to a formal spatial analysis prior to this thesis. The new perspective the analyses offer on the pavilion allows to shed new light on an area until now hardly explored. The results achieved by this thesis suggest that the Oppian pavilion was very unlikely to have had residential functions. Concluding from the Visibility Graph Analyses performed, most of the rooms were visually highly integrated, presuming rather a public function. At least two big dining rooms were present: rooms 40 and 128. The spatial and decorative characteristics of these rooms complement and amplify each other. The two rooms, moreover, were included in a pattern of visibility lines, called an ‘enfilade’. The enfilade pattern emerged from room 45a and continued on to the eastern end of corridor 92, from there it continued its way to room 132, and from room 132 it went through the Pentagonal Courtyard garden (no. 80a) and the porticoed gallery (no. 21), to end in room 9. A noticeable fact is that the enfilade pattern is cut off where the ‘Second Pentagonal Court’ is thought to have started. Hence it is very likely that th e ‘Second Court’ had a function that was entirely different from that of the rest of the Oppian pavilion. The spatial analysis in this thesis was applied from the perspective of the entrances of the pavilion only. Future investigations of the Domus which focus on all individual rooms as the root nodes for convex spatial studies could well contribute to gaining even more new insights into the spatial organisation of the pavilion.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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The focal point of this thesis is the relationship between women and jewellery in the Roman Empire. This relationship is surrounded by positive and negative values, e.g. the responses of ancient...Show moreThe focal point of this thesis is the relationship between women and jewellery in the Roman Empire. This relationship is surrounded by positive and negative values, e.g. the responses of ancient authors range from more positive comments to extreme criticism. The central research question was: What social norms, relations and values does jewellery signify regarding women in the Roman Empire? The central aim is to differentiate and investigate the social norms, relations and values that were associated with the relationship between women and jewellery. In order to do this, jewellery finds and sculptural representations of jewellery from Rome (defined as core) and Palmyra (defined as periphery) in the first two centuries AD were studied. These two categories of evidence were analysed separately per region and then compared. Comparative investigation of the material in both regions increases understanding of the signifying function of jewellery with regard to the prevailing social norms. In visual culture other values, social norms and relations come forward than in the jewellery finds. Four central aspects regarding the finds and representations were focused on: types of jewellery, context, social position of the owner/portrayed, and the expression of gender. These aspects followed from the framework that was developed to study the relationship between women and jewellery, which included the concepts gender, sculptural representations and core-periphery. The research problem this study intended to solve was that archaeological evidence has been rather neglected in the study of women and jewellery. The systematic quantitative and qualitative analyses of the jewellery finds and sculptural representations of jewellery from Rome and Palmyra, attempted here for the first time on exemplary sample sets, as well as the comparison between them, have brought new insights to this field of study.Show less
Het succes van ARS aardewerk op de mediterrane markten is niet alleen ontstaan door een bepaald gegeven of kenmerk. Belangrijk voor de export ARS aardewerk was de export van graan en olijfolie. Het...Show moreHet succes van ARS aardewerk op de mediterrane markten is niet alleen ontstaan door een bepaald gegeven of kenmerk. Belangrijk voor de export ARS aardewerk was de export van graan en olijfolie. Het opbloeien van de Tunesische economie is grotendeels te danken aan de Romeinse annona. De annona was in eerste instantie de graanvoorraad van Rome. Onder keizer Severus werden andere producten toegevoegd aan de annona zoals olijfolie. Graan en olijfolie waren de twee belangrijkste exportproducten van Tunesië. De bevoorrading van de annona zorgde voor een bloeiende Tunesische economie. De hoge productiviteit in graan en olijfolie is te danken aan de landschapsindeling en de Romeinse villa’s die aanwezig waren. Dit waren gunstige omstandigheden voor de productie en export van ARS aardewerk. ARS aardewerk maakte gebruik van de al bestaande handelscontacten, afzetmarkt en schepen. Ondanks dat ARS aardewerk een belangrijke speler was op de aardewerkmarkt, lag de nadruk op de export van graan en olijfolie. De productietechnieken en vormen van het ARS aardewerk werden gespecialiseerd op de export. De brede schalen met een lage voet waren uitstekend gevormd voor de export. Het gebruik van mallen was waarschijnlijk nodig voor de productie van deze schalen. De mallen zorgde ook voor een versimpeling van het productieproces. Er zijn ook tekenen dat de handelaren zich op de export gingen richten. Zo is er van de pottenbakkerssite gelegen bij El Mahrine veel meer aardewerk in de Spaanse zuidoostkust gevonden dan in Carthago. Het succes van ARS aardewerk is dus het gevolg van het succes van andere producten en de ontwikkelingen van het aardewerk zelf.Show less
This thesis aims to discuss the role of different entrances leading to the Palatine hill during the reign of emperor Septimius Severus and the Severan Period. As the palace itself occupied most of...Show moreThis thesis aims to discuss the role of different entrances leading to the Palatine hill during the reign of emperor Septimius Severus and the Severan Period. As the palace itself occupied most of the Palatine, the entrances that lead up the Palatine hill can be seen as the entrances into the palace itself. This thesis will give a short and general outline on the Palatine hill and the Imperial palace, will look at the life of emperor Septimius Severus, his rise to power and the following building plan for the city of Rome, including the construction of one of the entrances, the Septizodium. The two other entrances that are discussed are the Domus Gai, a palace build by emperor Caligula and the Clivus Palatinus, an ascending street leading up the Palatine Hill. The role of the entrances towards the Imperial palace will be analyzed with the help of Space Syntax and by examining the various parts of the surrounding areas of the Palatine hill, where these entrances lead, which are the Forum Romanum, the Via Sacra area and the cross point of various roads that lead into the city of Rome and the connection with the different roles these areas have with the entrances will be investigated. The gathered information is used to answer the question what the role of the three entrances were that lead to the Imperial palace on the Palatine during the reign of emperor Septimius Severus in the Severan Period.Show less
Several scholars argue that the ‘order’ of the Vestal virgins (the Vestales) can be compared to the class of matronae, because they are presumed to wear the same clothing and their social role is...Show moreSeveral scholars argue that the ‘order’ of the Vestal virgins (the Vestales) can be compared to the class of matronae, because they are presumed to wear the same clothing and their social role is similar. In this study, the comparison between the two groups is critically examined and the exact differences and similarities are discussed. Investigating second and early third-century Vestal statues from the Atrium Vestae in the Roman Forum, comparing them to statues of matronae from the same periods but different contexts, I demonstrate that the Vestales have been perceived by the Romans as a separate group, clearly distinguishable from matronae. Differences in details such as hairstyle, standing position, facial expression, and the interaction with the viewer show that Vestales and matronae are not the same. Some Vestales are more matrona-like than others, and the expected characteristics of matronae perhaps need to be redefined. Furthermore, the four points of comparison in which the two classes of women differ are precisely those that can be used for display of self-representation. Thus, matronae are proven to be more concerned with this than Vestales. Moreover, it is argued that the scholars that made the comparison between the two female groups have been subjected to gender influence. In conclusion, the comparison an sich is perhaps less useful with respect to the fact that Vestales need to be examined in relation to their religious group, whereas matronae should be regarded as part of a secular social context.Show less
