Abstract
This paper analyzes an Ostian monument, the so-called piazzale delle corporazioni, arguing that it is less unique than it seems now if put in architectural context. The paper includes a discussion on the building's prior use as a theater colonnade, comparing it to the porticus Pompeiana and the crypta Balbi in Rome. It further compares it to the « gladiators' barracks » in Pompeii, a space also used as a theater colonnade and subsequently employed for different purposes. The paper proposes that the piazzale was a building where ethnic networks of foreign traders and shipmasters connected with the Ostian business community as a way to overcome preindustrial constraints on long-distance trade. It concludes that, based on the view of the piazzale as a place facilitating inter-community exchange, dedication to the imperial cult is the most plausible suggestion for the piazzale temple.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 119-130 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Melanges de l'Ecole Francaise de Rome:Antiquite |
Volume | 126 |
Issue number | 1 |
State | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Crypta Balbi
- Cult of vulcan
- Ethnicity
- Gladiators' barracks
- Imperial cult
- Long-distance trade
- Overseas shipping
- Pompeii
- Theater of pompey
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Classics
- Archaeology
- History
- Visual Arts and Performing Arts
- Archaeology