Roman Butrint

Butrint, ancient Buthrotum, has taken many forms in different ages, shaped by the near-constant interaction between the place, its lagoonal landscape and the Mediterranean. Though Butrint does not appear on any of the records of early Greek colonisation to identify it as a Corcyrean settlement, strong links must have existed between it and the metropolitan Corinthian colony of Corfu. Blessed with springs that possessed healing qualities, a small polis was created - extended to incorporate a healing sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius. Julius Caesar, harbouring at Butrint in urgent need of supplies to sustain his struggle against Pompey, must have viewed the sanctuary, ringed by largely dried-out marshland, as the perfect site to settle veterans as a colony. It was an obvious cornerstone in controlling the passage from the Adriatic to the Aegean. The early settlers seem to have been limited in number and possibly mainly of civilian status. However, the political changes to the city's magistrature were immediate, and within a relatively short time-span fundamental changes to the physical make-up of the city were set in motion. Its new Roman status also located Butrint as a directly before the highest authorities in Rome, and within fifteen years or so, under Augustus' guidance following his victory at Actium, the city was refounded as a colony and awarded a pivotal role in Virgil's court-sponsored foundation epic, "The Aeneid". Now linked to the Victory City of Nicopolis rather than in the shadow of Corfu, Butrint prospered. The urban fabric evolved, sometimes faltered, but was essentially sustained until the later 6th century A.D. This present volume is an assessment of the Roman archaeology, a compilation of studies and field reports that focuses upon the foundation and early history of the colony.

ISBN 1842172344   Pages 2 ISBN13 9781842172346 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Oxbow Books   Weight (grammes) 1089 Imprint Oxbow Books   Published in Oxford Format Hardback   Height (mm) 297 Publication date 12 Jan 2007   Width (mm) 210 Library of Congress DR   Spine width (mm) 20 DEWEY 939.5   Academic level Tertiary education, Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

1		Introduction by Richard Hodges and Inge Lyse Hansen		1
2		The sanctuary of Asclepius by Milena Melfi		17
3		La structure politique de la colonie romaine de Buthrotum by Elizabeth Deniaux		33
App		A dedication to Minerva Augusta from Butrint by John R. Patterson		40
4		The Trojan connection : Butrint and Rome by Inge Lyse Hansen		44
5		The monumental togate statue from Butrint by Iris Pojani		62
6		Coins from the excavations at Butrint, Diaporit and the Vrina Plain by Sam Moorhead and Shpresa Gjongecaj and Richard Abdy		78
7		Geoarchaeological investigation at Roman Butrint by David J. Bescoby		95
8		The archaeology of the Vrina Plain : an assessment by Andrew Crowson and Oliver J. Gilkes and Edward Bispam and Dhimiter Condi and Inge Lyse Hansen		119
9		Two Roman monuments : proposals for function and context by Ryan Ricciardi		165
10		Butrinto e Fenice a confronto by Sandro De Maria		175
11		Butrint and Nicopolis : urban planning and the 'Romanization' of Greece and Epirus by William Bowden		189

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