Architectural Munificence in Britain: The Evidence of Inscriptions

Abstract

In Rome, during the late Republic, it became increasingly usual for those who had undertaken the construction of a building, whether as civic magistrates ex officio or as private individuals, to ensure that their achievements would be remembered by having the building inscribed with a record of what they had done. The practice became commonplace in the provinces of the Empire, on civic buildings, in military forts and on private funeral monuments. Sometimes, surviving inscriptions can be related to archaeological remains of the buildings to which they belonged. More often they cannot be so related; but even then, they may provide valuable information about the nature of building construction and who was responsible for it.

Constructing Romanitas: Roman Public Architecture and the Archaeology of Practice

“…This would suggest that perhaps the adoption of urbanism in these areas did not include the equation of the political centre with religious centre (Millett 1990:72). Similarly, the lack of inscriptions from the ci vilian centres and the differing patterns of building patronage reinforce the impression that the form of urbanism adopted in Britain was slightly different to that in other provinces of the empire (Blagg 1990). This is not to repeat the argument that Britain was more native than Roman (or vice versa), but that in Barrett's words, the 'possibilities of being human' were different (Barrett 1994:5).…”

A Fragment of a Monumental Bronze Statue, Lincoln

“… 97 Blagg 1990, 16, table 2. Blagg's survey, as he notes, includes only statues dedicated to deities as (presumed) embellishments to sanctuaries; honorific dedications of statues to human patrons or deceased emperors are omitted.…”

Οι Παραστάσεις Του Θαλασσίου Θιάσου Στην Τέχνη Της Ελληνιστικής Και Πρώιμης Αυτοκρατορικής Εποχής

“…98-99). Οι ζωφόροι χρονολογούνται στην 91 Lytelltone- Blagg (1990) πρώιμη αυτοκρατορική εποχή βάσει στιλιστικών κριτηρίων 96 και αποτελούν το πρώτο ρωμαϊκό παράδειγμα της εμφανισθείσας στην ελληνιστική τέχνη σύνδεσης εξαρτημάτων πλοίων και ιερατικών αντικειμένων 97 . Η σύνδεση αυτή παραπέμπει σε μια ναυτική νίκη που επετεύχθη με θεία βοήθεια 98 .…”

“…111-112 με σημ. 2-6.Στην κάτω ζώνη της παράστασης, αριστερά και δεξιά η Κασσιόπη και ο Κηφέας αντίστοιχα και στο μέσον ο Περσέας και μια Νηρηίδα πάνω σε Ιππόκαμπο σηκώνουν το κεφάλι προς την Ανδρομέδα172 . Η παράσταση αυτή είναι, όπως πιστεύεται, εμπνευσμένη από την πρωτοποριακή ευριπίδεια «Ανδρομέδα», που παρίστανε στην θεατρική σκηνή την ηρωίδα με ελληνική φορεσιά και δεμένη σε βραχώδες άνοιγμα ή σε δύο πασσάλους173 .…”