Re-defining the Roman ‘suburbium’ from Republic to Empire: A Theoretical Approach By Matthew J. Mandich

https://www.academia.edu/11739430/Re_defining_the_Roman_suburbium_from_Republic_to_Empire_A_Theoretical_Approach?rhid=37425213849&swp=rr-rw-wc-114383319&nav_from=b4876fbb-6abe-4a7e-a076-09bda8220920 Despite numerous publications, conferences, and excavations focused on the suburbs (or ‘suburbium’) of ancient Rome over the last several decades, current definitions of this space, its extent, and its functions remain frustratingly varied and even conflicting. This is partly due to the lack of specific demarcations for such spaces in the surviving ancient literature and epigraphy. In fact, the term suburbium only appears twice in known ancient sources (Champlin 1982: 110). However, these assorted and often unsatisfactory modern definitions are also largely the result of a tendency to ignore the numerous and diverse aspects of the suburban realm in order to achieve a simplified, manageable definition. The frequent treatment and study of the Roman ‘suburbium’ as an autonomous entity, disconnected from the Urbs, further compound the situation, as arbitrarily separating this space diminishes its role in a greater interconnected system largely dependent on the city that it surrounds (see Ravetz et al. 2013). Given the current frustrations, one must wonder, whether we are asking the right questions of this space. This article introduces a set of concepts and approaches that I argue will have validity for redefining and reassessing the Roman ‘suburbium’. In it, I will take a holistic approach to the Roman suburbs, embracing their complexity to combat their innate ambiguity. While the topic is indeed substantial, discussion of individual sites and detailed historical sequencing will necessarily be omitted since the focus instead will be on providing new models by which to reexamine and redefine this space (given the myriad issues of the archaeology). This is no easy task however, as even today’s metropolitan planners, (economic) geographers, and land-use analysts struggle to accurately demarcate and assess extra-urban areas around contemporary metropoleis (see www.plurel.net). Yet, by approaching the problem from a theoretical standpoint, and analyzing Rome Ekistically - as a dynamically expanding polis (see Doxiadis 1968: 193-199 and below), innovative ways of mapping and measuring may be assessed, offering a clearer understanding of this space, in turn allowing for its evolution, functions, and mobility to be better tracked from Republic to Empire. ...