Università Roma Tre

Course title: "Civic Identity in Late Antique Italy"

Contents: Epigraphic sources in the cities of Italy from the 4th to the 6th century show that a global Italian identity did not develop even after the provincialisation of Italy, nor a provincial identity. The civic and local identity slowly weakened. The cities of Annonarian Italy adapted from the second half of the third century to the new fiscal and military needs consolidated by Diocletian and Constantine; the cities of Suburbicarian Italy remained in the orbit of the powerful and rich senatorial families, great landowners in southern Italy. Milan and Rome were the two different centres of this bipolarism. During the 4th century a "client-patron urban identity" was strong. This traditional relationship aroused deep emotions and inspired intense collective participation. The participation of citizens, their internal solidarity and affection for their homeland appear difficult to identify in the 5th-6th centuries. The survey of civic identity in Italy shows a 'negative' process of identity loss: both at the highest level of exhausted ecumenical imperialism, and at the local level of belonging to 'Romanity'.

Attending Students: Handouts (xerocopies and PDFs) and materials provided by the teacher at the beginning of the course and during the lessons.

Non-attending Students:
- A. Buonopane, Manuale di epigrafia latina, Rome (Carocci) 2009 [mandatory];
- Terme di Diocleziano. La collezione epigrafica, edited by R. Friggeri, M.G. Granino Cecere, G. Gregori, Milan (Electa) 2012 [757 pp. - € 49,00]: mandatory study of Room I + 4 Rooms of your choice.
Exercises: Visit to the 'Epigraphic Collection' of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian in Rome.