February 27 - Happy birthday, Constantine

Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus, better known as Constantine the Great, ruled the Roman Empire for 31 years, AD 306-337. He was the son of Constantius Chlorus and St. Helena (known for having discovered the True Cross in the Holy Land). Following his father’s death, Constantine obtained the emperorship in AD 306, serving with Maxentius, Maximinus Daia and Licinius. Civil War broke out and, with the battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312, Constantine and Licinius were the victors.

A champion of Christianity, Constantine legalized the religion the following year with the Edict of Milan and sponsored the construction of many churches in Rome and the Empire, including “Old Saint Peter’s”.  Among his other architectural achievements in Rome are the Arch of Constantine and the Baths of Constantine, located on the Quirinal Hill. After co-ruling the Empire for 12 years, Constantine defeated Licinius in a war in AD 324 in Asia Minor. A year later, he oversaw the Council of Nicea, where the fundamentals of Catholicism as we know it were developed. It was also at this time that the Emperor decided to build a new city. Located on the Bosphorus, the Emperor monumentalized the existing city of Byzantium, but changed the name to Nova Roma in time for its inauguration on May 11, 330 AD. Constantine died in May 337 AD and was buried in “New Rome”, better known as Constantinople, a capital city that would endure for nearly 1000 years after the original Rome fell.

Upcoming Conference on the Severus Dynasty

Dept. Art History and Studio Arts and Dept. of Humanities,

John Cabot University

Presents

The Roman Empire during the Severan Dynasty

Conference Organizer: Eric C. De Sena

Scientific Committee:

Benedetta Bessi

Thomas Govero

Jens Koehler

Luca Larpi

John Cabot University, April 15-16, 2011

Friday,  April 15, 2011, (Tiber Campus, JCU) 9:00-19:30

9:00-9:15        Introduction by Eric C. De Sena

Session I – Roman Provinces during the Severan Period

9:15-9:35        Simone Rambaldi (Università degli Studi di Bologna/ Facoltà di Conservazione dei Beni Culturali, Trapani).  L’attività edilizia romana a destinazione pubblica fra i Severi e i Soldatenkaiser: trasformazioni e continuità.

9:35-9:55        Jean-Paul Petit (Parc Archeologique europeen de Bliesbruck-Reinheim) and Sara Santoro (Università degli Studi di Chieti). Lo sviluppo del vicus Bliesbruck (Moselle, France) agli inizi del III sec. d.C. e la vitalità della Gallia Belgica mosellana nell’epoca dei Severi.

9:55-10:15      Alice Dazzi (Università degli Studi di Parma). Water works and monuments in the Severan Age: some considerations.

10:15-10:30    Giovanni Distefano, "Cartagine durante l'età Severiana".

10:30-10:50    Discussion

Coffee Break 10:50-11:10

           

11:10-11:30    Tino Lelekovic (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts). Southern Pannonia in the time of the Severans.

11:30-11:50    Mujde Turkmen (Istanbul University). Architectural decoration of the Severan period in Pamphylia and Cilicia.

11:50-12:10    Giancarlo Germanà (Accademia di Belle Arti di Siracusa). Some observations on Sicily during the Severan Dynasty.

12:10-12:30    Daniele Malfitana (CNR – Università di Catania). Economy of Sicily during the Severan Period.

12:30-12:50    Discussion

Lunch Break 12:50-13:40

Session II – Aspects of the Economy during the Severan Period

13:40-14:00    Edoardo Radaelli (Sapienza- Università di Roma). Analisi di un riempimento fognario di età severiana dalle cosiddette “Terme di Elagabalo” a Roma.

14:00-14:20    Eszter Harsanyi (affiliation). La ceramica a vernice nera di Treviri: un prodotto di lusso nella Pannonia durante l’epoca severiana.

14:20-14:40    Viorica Rusu-Bolindet (affiliation). Supply and consumption of Samian ware in Romania Dacia during the Severan period.

14:40-15:00    Lucia Afonso (University of Buffalo, SUNY). Is there a Relationship between the Decreasing of Senators from the Iberia Peninsula and the Liberation of the Production and sale of Baetican oil for the annona during the Severan Dynasty?

15:00-15:20    José Carlos Quaresma (University of Lisbon). Economic growth in the early and middle Imperial periods, pre-200 AD: an economic approach from a peripheral province, Lusitania.

15:20-15:40    Discussion

Coffee Break 15:40-16:00

Session III – Severan History and Literature

16:00-16:20    Ivo Topalilov (University of Shumen, Bulgaria). The origo of the Thracian Praetorians in the time of Severi.

16:20-16:40    Mark Gradoni (Hood College). Parthian Campaigns of the Severan Emperors: Imperial Policy and Parthian Military Potency, 193-224 CE.

16:40-17:00    Thomas Govero (John Cabot University). Legal reforms of Ulpian.

17:00-17:20    Erik Thadeus Walters (John Cabot University). Unitas ex Africa: were Tertullian and Cyprian of Carthage unwitting architects of both Imperial and Church unification?

17:20-17:40    Adam Kemezis (University of Alberta). The Severan Sophistic? Dynastic change and continuity in Philostratus.

17:40-18:00    Discussion

Reception 18:00-19:30 – Refreshments and entertainment by the “Ninfe Dacie”

Saturday, April 16, 2011 (Location: Aula Magna, JCU)

Session IV – Severan Art, Architecture and Ideology – need to re-do this schedule

10:00-10:20    Florian Leitmir (Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, Munich). Between tradition and innovation: the visual representation of Severan Emperors.

10:20-10:40    Stephan Faust (University of Hamburg). Ideological messages and local preferences: the imagery of the Severan Arch at Lepcis Magna.

10:40-11:00    Andrea Gariboldi (affiliation). Elagabalo invictus sacerdos: l’imperatore fanciullo e la centralizzazione del sacro attraverso lo specchio delle monete.

11:00-11:20    Luigi Pedroni (affiliation). Athena/Brigantia on an aureus of Septimius Severus.

11:20-11:40    Paola Puppo (affiliation). Vestigia architettoniche del periodo di Settimio Severo in Tunisia.

11:40-12:00    Discussion

Lunch 12:00-12:50

12:50-13:10    Guido Petruccioli (Oxford University). Dynastic commemoration in metropolitan and provincial honorific statuary of the Severans.

13:10-13:30    Maria Lloyd (University of Reading). The Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman forum: a re-consideration.

13:30-13:50    Jens Koehler (John Cabot University). More water for Rome: nothing new in the Eternal City? Aqueducts, fountains and baths of the Severan Emperors.

13:50-14:10    Ottavio Bucarelli (Ponteficia Università Gregoriana). Il c.d. tempio di Serapide sul Quirinale. Topografia e archeologia dall’antichità al medioevo.

14:10-14:30    Flavia Guardascione (Università di Napoli Federico II). L’eredità dei Severi: architetture monumentali da Baiae

14:30-14:50    Discussion

14:50-15:00    CONCLUSIONS