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Chapter 10

In retrospect, Rome’s empire can appear to be a product of an excellent set of political, military and administrative strategies. Politicians of the late Republic were plagued with questions regarding who controlled provincial revenues and how the funds collected from local taxes, were spent. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Rome’s relationship to the author's provinces is the almost individual and “case by case” basis in which she interacted with provincial cities, each of which had something different to offer from a relationship with Rome. With Rome presented as a political epicenter, it is easy to overlook the roles that individual provinces could play in Roman history. The city of Ephesus, a capital city of the province, had a long and prominent history when it joined Rome. To travel through the provinces of the Roman world is to appreciate the many different ways in which Roman culture spread, adapted and changed across time and space.

Image Gallery

FIGURE 10.1. The Theatre at Arausio (modern Orange). Built in the 1st century AD into an existing hillside, a large portion of the later brick stage building has been preserved and is still used for performances and the “Orange festival” with productions such as “Phèdre” in 1903 starring Sarah Bernhardt. Theatre dimensions? These modern events capture the differing functions of theatres in colonies not only for performances but also for training and games. Photo: © 2016 Igor Blinov. FIGURE 10.2. The Arch at Arausio. Photo: © 2016 Igor Blinov. FIGURE 10.3. The Arch of Mithridates and Mazaeus at Ephesus. The Arch, which may have served as a tomb for the two imperial freedmen, reflects a distinctly Roman imagery in terms of architecture, the large monumental bronze letters, and a number of imperial statues that were set atop the arch. Photo © A. Graham. FIGURE 10.4. Coin depicting Ephesian Artemis. The silver cistophorus (RIC 1. 119), minted in Ephesus ca. AD 51 depicts Claudius and Agrippina the Younger in profile on the obverse and the cult statue of Ephesian Diana/Artemis, her ornate clothing and copious breasts reflect an imagery and ideology that is very different from conventional Roman images of Diana (compare with Figure 5.1). Photo © CNG Coins. FIGURE 10.5. Sculpture showing Claudius defeating Britannia, from the Sebastion at Aphrodisias. Claudius, uncommonly depicted in the “heroic nude”, stands over the female depiction of Britannia, gripping her hair in a gesture of dominance. Britannia, very unlike later depictions of a regal nation, lies in submission, a bare breast falling out of her robes. An inscription below read “Tiberius Claudius Caesar-Britannia.” Photo © A. Graham. Courtesy of the NYU excavations team. FIGURE 10.6. The pediment at the Temple of Minerva Sulis (Bath) in Britain. The classical style temple was fronted with a very unusual image of a male face, that while identifiable to a Roman audience as a gorgon or a water deity, probably had associations for a local audience with the Celtic deity Sulis. Photo © Maurice Savage/Alamy Stock Photo. FIGURE 10.7. The Tombstone of Regina, from South Shields in Britain. This tombstone, which has copies in the British Museum, is currently in the Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum. The carving is very well done and could have been done by a Palmyrene mason (which could explain the excellent rendering of the Palmyrene text on the monument). Photo © Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums/Bridgeman Images. FIGURE 10. 8. The Temple of Bel at Palmyra. Note that while there are elements of Greek and Roman decoration, the temple and entrance are not symmetrical, nor is the plan of the temple, which contains two cella (sacred chambers) as opposed to the single chamber that is so often found in Greek and Roman temples. Photo © Luis Dafos/Alamy Stock Photo. FIGURE 10. 9. The Monumental Arch at Palmyra. This archway was subject to significant recent destruction by the terrorist group ISIS. The arch, which was digitally scanned by scholars before its destruction has been recreated in marble and transported across the world from London to New York City. In the process, it has become a monument to a different type of victory altogether. Photo © Dallet-Alba/Alamy Stock Photo.