Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites. At least a passive knowledge of German, English, and Italian is recommended.

Content (Syllabus outline)

1. Legal status of towns and other settlements

2. Town territories, the countryside, and roads:

• Comparative study of regions: northern Italy, Istria, Noricum, Upper and Lower Pannonia, and Dalmatia

3. Topography of towns: comparative study:

• Urbanism
• Administrative centres
• Public and representative buildings
• Defensive architecture
• Sanctuaries
• Production areas
• Water supply and other infrastructure

4. Development of towns:

• From the first century to the Severan dynasty
• The late Roman period
• The decline of towns

Readings

• Bosio, L. 1991. Le strade romane della Venetia e dell’Histria. Padova.
• Donev, D. 2020. The Busy Periphery: Urban Systems of the Balkan and Danube Provinces (2nd – 3rd c. AD), Archaeopress Roman Archaeology 61.
• Gaspari, A. 2016. Voda v rimski Emoni / Water in Roman Emona, Ljubljana.
• Gros, P. 2001. L’architecture romaine: du début du IIIe siècle av. J.-C. à la fin du Haut-Empire. Paris.
• Die römische Stadt im 2. Jahrhundert n. Chr. – Xantener Berichte 2, Köln 1992.
• Die Stadt in Oberitalien und in den nordwestlichen Provinzen des Römischen Reiches. Kölner Forschungen 4, Mainz a. R. 1991.
• Fentress, E. ur. 2000. Romanization and the city. Creation, transformatons, and failures. Journal of Roman Archaeology, Supp. Ser. 38, Portsmouth.
• Horvat, J. in A. Dolenc Vičič 2010, Arheološka najdišča Ptuja. Rabelčja vas, Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 20, Ljubljana 2010.
• Horvat, J., I. Lazar, A. Gaspari ur. 2020. Manjša rimska naselja na slovenskem prostoru / Minor Roman settlements in Slovenia, Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 40, Ljubljana.
• Horvat, J., B. Mušič, A. Dolenc Vičič, A. Ragolič 2020. Arheološka najdišča Ptuja. Panorama, Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 41, Ljubljana.
• La città nell’Italia settentrionale in età romana. Collection de l’École française de Rome 130, Trieste – Roma 1990.
• Lovenjak, M. 1998. Inscriptiones Latinae Sloveniae 1: Neviodunum. Situla 37, Ljubljana.
• Starac, A. 1999-2000. Rimsko vladanje u Histriji i Liburniji, 1. Histrija, 2. Liburnija. – Katalozi i monografije, Arheološki muzej Istre 10, Pula.
• Šašel Kos, M. 1997. The Roman Inscriptions in the National Museum of Slovenia (Lapidarij Narodnega muzeja Slovenije). Situla 35, Ljubljana.
• Šašel Kos, M. in P. Scherrer ur. 2002-2004. The autonomous towns of Noricum and Pannonia: Noricum, Pannonia I, Pannonia II. Situla 40-42, Ljubljana.
• Zaccaria, C. 1992. Regio X, Venetia et Histria, Tergeste – Ager Tergestinus et Tergesti adtributus. V: Supplementa italica, Nuova serie 10, Roma: 139-283.

Objectives and competences

The settlement system in the Roman provinces of central Europe was based on three foundations: autonomous towns (municipia, coloniae), small central settlements (vici), and rural farms (villae rusticae). The towns (and the vici to a limited scale) functioned as administrative, economic, social, and religious centres. They had immense influence on the way of life and on the processes of Romanization. The interruption with the old prehistoric world could be perceived very clearly through the introduction of new building techniques and architectural types. The development of Roman architecture was a dynamic process, during which some regional forms were given up and new ones were introduced. The basic types were preserved in spite of rich variations. Special building types connected with special functions were widespread throughout the empire; for example, forums with basilicas and tabernae, temples, theaters, amphitheaters, stadia, public baths, houses in the towns and partly in the country, infrastructure, and defensive architecture. This course presents the development of Roman towns in central Europe and the Balkans and the perception of special issues such as settlement, urbanization, architecture, administration, economics, and religion.

Intended learning outcomes

Intended learning outcome is a written paper in the form of a scientific article.

Learning and teaching methods:

Types of learning/teaching:

• Independent students work
• e-learning

Teaching methods:

• Conversation/discussion/debate
• Case studies

Assessment

• Long written assignment (70 %),
• presentation (20 %),
• final examination (written/oral) (10 %).

Lecturer’s references

• Bernardini, F., Horvat, J., Vinci, G. 2023, San Rocco/Koromačnik military camps (2nd–1st centuries BC). V/In: Horvat, J., Bernardini, F., Belak, M. (ur./eds.), The Roman conquest beyond Aquileia: (II−I centuries BC), Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 45, 21–48.
• Grahek, L., Horvat, J. 2022, Rimsko grobišče Marof na Igu / The Roman cemetery in Marof at Ig (Slovenia), Arheološki vestnik 73, 199–280.
• Bernardini, F., Horvat, J., Vinci, G., Berden, T., Lavrenčič, L., Liccioli, L., Lubritto, C. 2021, Grociana piccola: a rare example of Republican military fortifications in Italy. Journal of Roman archaeology 34, issue 2, 695-712.
• Žerjal, T., Horvat, J., Janežič, M. 2021, Ceramic contexts from the territory of present-day Slovenia. V/In: Visentini, P. et al. (ur./eds.), L’ archeologia di un territorio attraverso la ceramica: abitati, produzioni, scambi e commerci nel Friuli romano, Udine, 123–145.
• Žerjal, T., Horvat, J., Istenič, J. 2021, Pottery and other productions in the eastern hinterland of Caput Adriae. V/In: Rigato, D., Mongardi, M., Vitelli Casella, M. (ur./eds.). Produzioni artiglianali in area adriatica : manufatti, ateliers e attori (III sec. a.C.-V sec. d.C.), Adriatlas 4, 94-109.
• Horvat, J., Mušič, B., Dolenc Vičič, A., Ragolič, A. 2020, Arheološka najdišča Ptuja. Panorama / Archaeological sites of Ptuj. Panorama. − Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 41.