Urban space and aristocratic power in late antique Rome: AD 270-535

342 Pages·2019·4.137 MB·English

by  Machado, Carlos

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Urban Space and Aristocratic Power
in Late Antique Rome
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,2/10/2019,SPi
Frontispiece. IvorydiptychofRufiusProbianus(Berlin,Staatsbibliothek
zuBerlin,Ms.theol.lat.fol.323).
WithkindpermissionoftheStaatsbibliothekzuBerlin.
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Urban Space and
Aristocratic Power in
Late Antique Rome
 –
270 535
CARLOS MACHADO
1
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3
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©CarlosAugustoRibeiroMachado2019
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Acknowledgements
ThisbookhasitsdistantoriginsinadoctoraldissertationsubmittedtotheFaculty
of Classics at Oxford in 2006. Since then, I have benefitted from the help and
supportofmanyinstitutions,friends,andcolleagues.MystudiesinOxfordwere
funded by a scholarship from the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq) in
Brazil. The support of Linacre College and especially of the Faculty of Classics
andtheCravenFundmademuchofmyresearchpossible,inOxfordandinRome.
The original dissertation was written during long stays at the British School at
Rome,whereI wrote its final chapters as a Rome scholar in 2005–6.A one-year
fellowship at the Seminar for Ancient History and Epigraphy in Heidelberg in
2008–9, followed by many short research stays, was generously funded by the
Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung. A visiting fellowship at the University of
Padua in 2013 gave me the opportunity to write and discuss my research with
colleagues in Padua, Venice, and Florence. The availability and kindness of the
staff,colleagues,andstudentsImetattheseinstitutionshasnotceasedtoimpress
me. In Brazil, I was fortunate to collaborate with the students and colleagues
associatedwiththeLaboratóriodeEstudossobreoImpérioRomano.Iwouldnot
havebeenabletofinishthisbookwithoutthesupportoftheSchoolofClassicsat
StAndrews,whereIfoundnotonlytheresourcesIneededbutalsothesupportof
mycolleagues.
TheoriginaldissertationonwhichthisbookisbasedwassupervisedbyBryan
Ward-Perkins. Ever since our first meeting, Bryan has remained an unfailing
source of advice and ideas, and his generosity and enthusiasm have helped me
to keep this project on track over the years. The thesis was examined by Mark
Humphries and Janet DeLaine, who provided me with precious feedback and
suggestions. In Rome, I had the invaluable assistance of the staff of the BSR,
especiallyValerieScott,BeatriceGelosia,FrancescaDeRiso,FrancescaDeli,and
Alessandra Giovenco in the library, while Maria Pia Malvezzi organizedpermits
and letters of introduction to different institutes in Rome. No other academic
institutioncanmatchtheidealconditionsforresearchprovidedbytheBSRandits
community,andwritingthisbookwasmuchmoreenjoyablebecauseofthem.
Ihavebenefittedfromthegenerosityofmanycolleaguesandfriends(somenow
departed). Alan Cameron, Guido Clemente, Fábio Faversani, Julia Hillner, Luke
Lavan,MylesLavan,PaoloLiverani,RitaLizziTesta,RogerRees,MarianneSághy,
MicheleSalzman,SebastianSchmidt-HofnerandIgnazioTantillosentmecopies
of their publications, read, and/or commented on different parts of the book.
RobertoMeneghini,CarloPavolini,andRiccardoSantangeliValenzanidiscussed
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vi 
theirworkandgavemeaccesstotheirexcavationsandpublications. CristinaLa
Rocca, Silvia Orlandi, Rebecca Sweetman, Christian Witschel, and Greg Woolf
read different chapters and offered valuable advice. My work in Rome (and on
Rome)benefittedenormouslyfromtheintellectualgenerosityofFabioBarryand
of the much missed Lucos Cozza. Robert Coates-Stephens’ encyclopedic know-
ledgeandenthusiasmaboutRomehavebeenanunfailingsourceofreferencesand
ideas,eversinceIfirstvisitedtheBSRasastudentintheCityofRomecourse.The
finalversionofthetextwasgreatlyimprovedbythesharpeyeandthesuggestions
of Jill Harries. Norberto Guarinello read most of the manuscript, providing
invaluable criticism, suggestions, and advice. At OUP, Charlotte Loveridge and
Georgina Leighton provided crucial advice in the process of publication, while
MaryWoodcockKrobleatStAndrewswasofinvaluablehelpintheadaptationof
thedrawingsandplans.
Finally,Iwouldliketoexpressmyimmensegratitudetomyfamily.Myparents
and brother were and remain an endless source of support and love, and I will
neverbeabletorepaythemforit.Mygreatestdebt,however,istomywife,Lizzie
O’Keeffe,whotaughtmetoseeRomewithdifferenteyes.Shereadeverywordof
the original thesis and of the book, improving the text and making my thinking
clearerintheprocess.Whatevershedidnotmanagetoimproveisduetomyown
stubbornness. This book is dedicated to her and to our amazing sons, José and
Paddy,fortheirloveandpatiencethroughoutallthetimesthatIwasawayfrom
themworkinginthelibrary.
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,2/10/2019,SPi
Contents
ListofFiguresandMaps ix
ListofAbbreviationsandEditionsUsed xiii
Introduction 1
PART 1. THE DEFINITION OF URBAN SPACE
1. Aristocrats,ImperialInstitutions,andtheTopographyofPower 27
2. BuildingLateAntiqueRome 62
PART 2. THE USES OF SPACE
3. EmperorsandSenatorsintheRomanForum 95
4. Festivals,Ceremonies,andtheCommemorationofPower 124
5. TheRedefinitionofReligiousLife 162
PART 3. DOMESTIC SPACES AND THE
PRIVATIZATION OF POWER
6. SenatorialHousesasCentresofPower 201
7. AristocraticPowerandPoliticsintheDomesticSphere 231
Conclusion 263
Bibliography 271
IndexLocorum 303
Index 313
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OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,2/10/2019,SPi
List of Figures and Maps
Figures
Frontispiece.IvorydiptychofRufiusProbianus(Berlin,Staatsbibliothek
zuBerlin,Ms.theol.lat.fol.323). ii
WithkindpermissionoftheStaatsbibliothekzuBerlin.
1.1. TheBasilicaofMaxentiusandtheTempleofPeace
(withareaofMaxentianworksindicated). 36
AdaptedbyMaryWoodcockKroblefromK.S.Freyberger,DasForum
Romanum,Mainz2012,Abb.80,withtheauthor’skindpermission.
1.2. TheForumofSibidiusintheNorthernCampusMartius. 50
AdaptedbyMaryWoodcockKroblefromM.T.Boatwright,Hadrian
andtheCityofRome,Princeton1987,fig.1,republishedwithpermission
ofPrincetonUniversityPress;permissionconveyedthroughCopyright
ClearanceCenter,Inc.
2.1. Theadlocutiorelief,Rome,ArchofConstantine. 64
Photo:FabioBarry.
3.1. TheRomanForuminlateantiquity. 98
AdaptedbyMaryWoodcockKroblefromK.S.Freyberger,DasForum
Romanum,Mainz2012,Abb.64,withtheauthor’skindpermission.
3.2. TheForumofCaesarinlateantiquity. 99
AdaptedbyMaryWoodcockKroblefromA.Corsaro,A.Delfino,I.
deLuca,andR.Meneghini,‘Nuovidatiarcheologiciperlastoriadel
ForodiCesaretralafinedelIVelametàdelVsecolo’,inTheSackof
Romein410,ed.J.Lipps,C.Machado,andP.vonRummel
(Palilia28),Wiesbaden2013,p.126fig.4,withtheauthors’kindpermission.
4.1. StatuemonumentofC.CaeliusSaturninus(MuseiVaticani,
MuseoGregorianoProfano,inv.n.10,493;10,494). 140
Photo©VaticanMuseums,allrightsreserved.Furtherreproduction,
duplication,copying,oralterationofanykindisstrictlyprohibited.
4.2. The‘oldmagistrate’(Rome,MuseiCapitolini,CentraleMontemartini,
MC896). 142
Photo©Roma—SovrintendenzaCapitolinaaiBeniComunali.
4.3. TheBasilicaApostolorum. 152
AdaptedbyMaryWoodcockKroblefromF.Tolotti,MemoriedegliApostoli
inCatacumbas:rilievocriticodellaMemoriaedellaBasilicaApostolorumal
IIImigliodellaViaAppia(CollezioneAmicidelleCatacombe,XIX),Città
delVaticano1953,Tav.1,withthepublisher’skindpermission.