The horti, vast aristocratic and imperial estates directly bordering on the city of Rome, are taken as a case study on the appropriation of Hellenistic artistic and architectural styles by Roman...Show moreThe horti, vast aristocratic and imperial estates directly bordering on the city of Rome, are taken as a case study on the appropriation of Hellenistic artistic and architectural styles by Roman elites. Three types of material remains are analysed: architecture, surface art (e.g. mosaics, wall-paintings, veneering), and sculpture. The main conclusion is that many of the Hellenistic motifs and types of art that were imitated in the horti had a highly contextual (and often religious) significance in the Hellenistic world, but that the Roman owners of the horti treated these visual elements as mere decorative elements, while still making use of the intellectual and religious connotations that these had in their original settings. As such, concepts like code-switching and globalisation theory do not seem to adequately explain the Hellenistic elements that are seen in the horti, and we may instead speak of a thorough and far-reaching process of appropriation.Show less
Roman urbanism and spectacles have been important themes within scholarship on ancient history for decades. Traditionally, research has been focused on Rome, but in recent years research into the...Show moreRoman urbanism and spectacles have been important themes within scholarship on ancient history for decades. Traditionally, research has been focused on Rome, but in recent years research into the rest of the Roman Empire has become more prominent. One central issue within modern historiography has to do with the supposed uniformity of urbanism and spectacle in the Roman world. Were these parts of ancient life similar throughout the empire, or is diversity the norm? This thesis contributes to the historiographical debate in two ways. First, it will investigate urbanism and spectacles in three Roman provinces instead of in Rome. Second, this thesis will focus on venationes, or animal hunts, because this spectacle type has not gotten much attention in existing scholarship on spectacles. By comparing different Roman provinces to one another, it will become clear that while some consistencies can be found in the urbanism, spectacle culture and venationes, they underwent profound changes due to the specific provincial contexts in which they manifested themselves. This adaptation resulted in significant urban and cultural diversity within the Roman world.Show less
