The Anatolian Past and the Roman Beholder

In Roman antiquity as much as now, the landscapes of Asia Minor were strewn with the traces of prior human habitation, from Hittite rock-cut reliefs to abandoned Urartian fortifications. Anatolian authors writing under Roman rule—notably during the second and third centuries CE—had a keen interest in exploring mythological and pseudo-historical narratives about the local past; echoing these literary concerns, the sculptural and numismatic production of cities throughout Roman Asia Minor celebrated remote foundation myths and kinship ties. But was anyone interested in manipulating material remains to imagine the Anatolian past? And were the traces of prior human habitation used to substantiate a preferred one version of local history over others? Who cared about Anatolian realia and why?

Felipe Rojas received his Ph.D. in Classics from UC Berkeley. He is a 2010-2011 postdoctoral fellow at the Getty Villa.

This event is sponsored by the Ancient Mediterranean Studies program and the Ancient Borderlands Research Focus Group.

jwil 09.iii.2011