Editorial for Rosetta issue 20.
Articles
Thucydides’ Archaiologia is the initial book of his Histories about the Peloponnesian War and it attempts to summarise the main features of a distant past in which prehistoric Greece was involved in constant turmoil, disorders and barbarism, especially if compared to the refined grandeur of classical Athens (5th century BC), in which the author was writing. After the 19th century discoveries of the Mycenaean graves and the archaeological assessment of the monumental Mycenaean palaces, Thucydides’ description seemed poor and lacking in knowledge, obviously justified by the long time span separating him from the grandeur of the Bronze Age palaces. But is the Archaiologia still dismissible as a failed attempt to reconstruct the past? Modern archaeology might disagree, since it is true that Thucydides ignored the complexity of the Mycenaean civilisation, but many of his descriptions may still find evidence. How is it possible? What is Thucydides actually describing? This paper tries to select important passages of the Archaiologia and compare them with recent archaeological evidence in order to provide a more adequate chronological context.
Terracotta figurines, occasionally offered within the Greek funerary contexts of the LBA and the EIA (1200-900 BC), are certainly a material class worth investigating in order to reveal cogent information about particular religious beliefs to which Greek societal rules might have been interconnected. The unclear meaning of terracotta figurines makes any question about their significance even harder to answer. In order to formulate possible interpretations this paper will present a quick summary on what past and present research has revealed about the examples found in mainland Greece. Their Mycenaean and PostMycenaean use in the BA will soon be confronted with the mysterious appearance of new bell-shaped types during the EIA. Possible interpretations will therefore be produced in accordance with the latest discoveries and religious comparisons. The emerging picture will show a more internationalised circulation of ideas which found in Greece a fertile area to start novel interpretations of life and afterlife.
The city walls of Urbs Salvia were a visually-striking symbol of the power, wealth and importance of this Roman colony. They formed an impressive and dominant frame to the urban centre, appropriate to the city’s monumentality and prosperity. This paper examines the material evidence of the walls, towers and gateways of Urbs Salvia and considers the historical, political and social context within which the walls were constructed and experienced. It suggests that an analysis of the city walls can move the debate forward on difficult questions of Urbs Salvia’s status and title, investigating the disputed date of the colony’s foundation and the issue of its refoundation or reorganisation, and discussing whether and why the city changed its name. The paper looks at the purpose and significance of the city walls and puts forward an interpretation of the walls which goes beyond their physical functionality to reveal their wider meaning.
Book Reviews
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