The Roman Villa in the Mediterranean Basin
The Roman Villa in the Mediterranean Basin
This volume offers a comprehensive survey of Roman villas in Italy and the Mediterranean provinces of the Roman Empire, from their origins to the collapse of the Empire. The architecture of villas could be humble or grand, and sometimes luxurious. Villas were most often farms where wine, olive oil, cereals, and manufactured goods, among other products, were produced. They were also venues for hospitality, conversation, and thinking on pagan, and ultimately Christian, themes. Villas spread as the Empire grew. Like towns and cities, they became the means of power and assimilation, just as infrastructure, such as aqueducts and bridges, was transforming the Mediterranean into a Roman sea. The distinctive Roman/Italian villa type was transferred to the provinces, resulting in Mediterranean-wide culture of rural dwelling and work that further unified the Empire.
- Shows a wide view of Roman villas throughout the Roman Mediterranean from their inception in the third/second century BCE to their end in the sixth century CE, coordinating sites from region to region so that locally known sites are seen in large historical perspective
- Offers an outline of methodological issues (origins of villas, slavery in agriculture, social/economic import) in a clear, non-scholarly way, making it an excellent overview of the intellectual aspects of archaeological study of villas for a general educated audience as well as a scholarly one
- Gives an up-to-date account of famous villas, little-known sites in often-neglected regions (such as the former Yugoslavia, Libya and Southern Italy), and new discoveries (in Greece at Marathon and Eua Loukou), some dating to 2016, offering a reliable, contemporary account of the phenomena associated with Roman villas
Reviews & endorsements
'This is a major reference work, written by a stellar cast of contributors, and it deserves to take its place as the definitive study of Roman villas round the Mediterranean basin. It is also beautifully produced, with(mostly) excellent illustrations, a comprehensive bibliography and ample indexes.' Roger Ling, The Antiquaries Journal
'… poised to become a standard reference on the archaeology of the Roman villa from the late Republic through late antiquity … the book offers a comprehensive overview … Its content is valuable …' Sarah Beckmann, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Product details
No date availableHardback
9781107164314
634 pages
287 × 222 × 37 mm
2.33kg
244 b/w illus. 21 maps
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. The Roman villa in the Mediterranean: an overview Annalisa Marzano and Guy P.R. Métraux
- 2. The Roman villa. Definitions and variations Ursula Rothe
- Part I. Roman Villas in or Near the Bay of Naples and Maritime Villas: Current Research:
- 3. The 'Villa of the Mysteries' at Pompeii and the ideals of Hellenistic hospitality Andrew Wallace-Hadrill
- 4. The building history and aesthetics of the 'Villa of Poppaea' at Torre Annunziata: results from the Oplontis Project 2005–14 John R. Clarke
- 5. Landscape at the 'Villa of Poppaea' (Villa A) at Torre Annunziata Mantha Zarmakoupi
- 6. The villas of Stabiae Thomas Noble Howe
- 7. The Roman villa of Positano Adele Campanelli, Giovanni Di Maio, Riccardo Iaccarino, Maria Antonietta Iannelli, Luciana Jacobelli
- 8. Maritime villas and the resources of the sea Annalisa Marzano
- 9 The 'Villa of Augustus' at Somma Vesuviana Masanori Aoyagi, Antonio De Simone and Girolamo F. De Simone
- Part II. Roman Villas in the Mediterranean: Current Research:
- 10. Villas in Southern Italy Maurizio Gualtieri
- 11. Villas in Northern Italy Gian Pietro Brogiolo and Alexandra ChavarrÃa Arnau
- 12. Roman villas in Sicily Roger J. A. Wilson
- 13. Villas in south and southwestern Gaul Loïc Buffat
- 14. Villas in Hispania and Lusitania Felix Teichner
- 15. Roman villas in the Maltese archipelago Anthony Bonanno
- 16. Villas in North Africa Roger J. A. Wilson
- 17. The Roman villa at Apollonia Oren Tal and Israel Roll
- 18. Houses of the wealthy in Roman Galilee Zeev Weiss
- 19. Villas in Greece and the Islands Maria Papaioannou
- 20. Villas of the eastern Adriatic and Ionian coastlands William Bowden
- Part III. Roman Villas: Late Antique Manifestations:
- 21. Late antique villas: themes Guy P. R. Métraux
- 22. Aristocratic residences in late antique Hispania Gisela Ripoll
- 23. Christianization of villas Kimberly Bowes
- Part IV. Roman Villas: Later Manifestations:
- 24. Conviviality versus seclusion in Pliny's Tuscan and Laurentine villas Pierre de la Ruffinière du Prey
- 25. The 'Villa dei Papiri': Herculaneum and Malibu Kenneth Lapatin
- Conclusion Annalisa Marzano and Guy P. R. Métraux.
