Books by Riccardo Bertolazzi
“Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers and ignore all the others”. These, so Cassius Dio tells us, w... more “Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers and ignore all the others”. These, so Cassius Dio tells us, were the last words of emperor Septimius Severus to his sons Antoninus (later to be nicknamed Caracalla) and Geta. In Dio’s eyes, this sort of political testament was telling of Severus’ autocratic style of government, which, according to the historian, prioritized the relationship between the emperor and the army above anything else. Also, it was during the Severan age that emperors started to be addressed as domini (“lords”) and the imperial family as domus divina (“divine house”) in honorary inscriptions. Hence the impression that the reign of Severus marked an autocratic shift in imperial politics, thus prefiguring the absolutism of late-antique rulers. Yet by analyzing coins and inscriptions attesting to his relationship with the cities of the empire, it is possible to note that Severus’ policies were not markedly different from those of his predecessors. Like Vespasian, Trajan and the Antonines, he promoted the diffusion of Roman municipal administration in the provinces, supported the establishment of civic festivals and encouraged rural communities to assemble in civic bodies. All in all, he devoted considerable attention to administrative issues affecting local communities. This well harmonizes with the fact that, before becoming emperor after a bloody civil war, Severus had been a senator whose cursus honorum had focused more on civilian administration rather than military training. If, on the one hand, he cultivated his popularity in the army with a view to strengthen his dynastic projects, on the other he seems to have regarded the dialogue with civilian institutions as an essential part of his duties.
Papers by Riccardo Bertolazzi
Epigraphica, 2022
An inscription from Lamus in western Rough Cilicia informs us that the town built up new walls un... more An inscription from Lamus in western Rough Cilicia informs us that the town built up new walls under Gallienus and dedicated them to the emperor. The inscription also mentions the governor of Cilicia, Voconius Zeno, who had previously been «secretary for the documentation of the Augustus and saviour». Scholars have usually interpreted the epithet «saviour» as referred to Gallienus, but an analysis of similar inscriptions set up during this period suggests that it was Voconius Zeno whom the inhabitants of Lamus regarded as their «saviour». It is difficult to understand whether Zeno played a role as a military commander, defending Cilicia from the numerous invasions documented throughout Gallienus’ reign in Asia Minor. Conversely, there are good reasons to maintain that Zeno helped Lamus build the walls rapidly, thereby earning the gratitude of its citizens.
Cartagine Studi e Ricerche (CaSteR), 2023
As is well known, the Gordian dynasty was born in Africa when the inhabitants of Thysdrus proclai... more As is well known, the Gordian dynasty was born in Africa when the inhabitants of Thysdrus proclaimed Gordian I and Gordian II emperors in 238. Still, the military issues which followed the disbandment of the legio III Augusta and the revolt led by Sabinianus in Carthage in 240 seem to indicate that the relationship between Gordian III (r. 238-244) and the provinces of north-western Africa was not always good. Despite this, the epigraphic documentation concerning this period bespeaks that the regime of Gordian III did its best to ensure security along the borders and cultivate its popularity among the African people. On the one hand, it advertised continuity with the policies of Severus Alexander, whereas, on the other, it showed discontinuity with those of Maximinus Thrax. It is then probable that one of the reasons the revolt of Sabinianus was short-lived was the lack of support among the local population, who generally identified Gordian III as a good ruler.
Pubblicazione di un'iscrizione inedita da Verona attestante un "iter precario"
Analysis of an unpublished statue base from Lambaesis bearing a dedication to an emperor whose na... more Analysis of an unpublished statue base from Lambaesis bearing a dedication to an emperor whose name incurred the damnatio memoriae. He could be identified as either Maximian or Maxentius
Cartagine. Studi e Ricerche, 2020
A statue base so far known only through a photo circulating on the internet bears a dedication in... more A statue base so far known only through a photo circulating on the internet bears a dedication in which the peregrine community of Thugga (civitas Aurelia Thugga) paid homage to an individual connected to the family of Septimius Severus. The lacunae affecting the first line of the inscription make it difficult to identify the person who was honoured. This could either be Severus’ younger son, P. Septimius Geta or, perhaps less probably, the great-grandfather of the emperor, L. Septimius Severus. In any case, this monument represents a new piece of evidence attesting to the obstinacy with which the civitas of Thugga courted the favour of the emperors, thereby obtaining the promotion of the whole community (which also included Roman citizens forming a pagus) to the status of municipium in 205.
Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2015
Among the ancient authors who narrated the reign of Augustus and Tiberius, Cassius Dio is surely ... more Among the ancient authors who narrated the reign of Augustus and Tiberius, Cassius Dio is surely the one who dedicated the most space to the influence that Livia Drusilla exercised over both her husband and her son. In this regard, the foremost example is found in a large section where Dio narrates how Livia persuaded Augustus to forgive Cornelius Cinna for having plotted against his regime. Also, according to Dio, after the death of Augustus, Livia considerably increased her authority over the imperial government, trying not only to co-rule with her son, but also to become the sole effective ruler by controlling all his political activities. Some scholars have suggested that Dio probably exaggerated the role played by Livia because of the similar extraordinary power enjoyed by his contemporaries Julia Domna and the other Syrian women who lived during the Severan age. A close examination of Dio's passages dedicated to Livia reveals no traces of situations that could refer to his contemporary political situation. The statements of the Bithynian historian and senator concerning Livia are normally well detailed because he made use of good sources. Indubitably, Livia's strong influence was fundamental in shaping the reign of both Augustus and Tiberius. Even two centuries later, while Severus was trying to depict his regime as a new golden era on the model of Augustus, Julia Domna followed the example of Livia on many occasions. Nevertheless, Dio does not seem to be aware of these analogies and his work appears to be characterized by a mere record of facts rather than an investigation of their real power within the imperial court.
Ananlysis of an unplished statue base bearing a dedication to the Augusta Julia Domna, who is add... more Ananlysis of an unplished statue base bearing a dedication to the Augusta Julia Domna, who is addressed as Fortuna Redux and Fecunditas
M. Kemezis, C. Bailey, B. Poletti (eds.), The Intellectual Climate of Cassius Dio. Greek and Roman Pasts, 2022
When narrating how Elagabalus came to power, Cassius Dio relates an interesting series of facts i... more When narrating how Elagabalus came to power, Cassius Dio relates an interesting series of facts involving supernatural events. According to Dio, the god Elagabal told Eutychianus, a freedman of Julia Maesa, to take her grandson Avitus Bassianus to a legionary camp to be acclaimed emperor. Later on, Elagabal ordered the emperor to adopt his cousin Bassianus Alexianus, and to call him Alexander. Dio says that this must be true, and that several other prodigies seem to confirm this version of the facts. The analysis of the historical context and a comparison between the accounts of Dio, Herodian and the Historia Augusta, however, indicate that Maesa was probably using stratagems in order to conceal her influence on Elagabalus. Both the army and the senate were, in fact, unwilling to tolerate the direct influence of imperial women in state affairs. Dio says that soon after the assassination of Caracalla at the hand of Macrinus, her sister Julia Domna had tried, in vain, to foment the soldiers against the latter. Some discontent had also started to grow when Caracalla had authorized Domna to hold public receptions in the same fashion as the emperor used to. Finally, it is likely that Dio wanted to present Alexander in the best light possible, avoiding the impression that the emperor from whom he had obtained considerable benefits had ascended the throne thanks to the schemes of his entangling grandmother.
Cartagine. Studi e Ricerche, 2020
A statue base so far known only through a photo circulating on the internet bears a dedication in... more A statue base so far known only through a photo circulating on the internet bears a dedication in which the peregrine community of Thugga (civitas Aurelia Thugga) paid homage to an individual connected to the family of Septimius Severus. The lacunae affecting the first line of the inscription make it difficult to identify the person who was honoured. This could either be Severus’ younger son, P. Septimius Geta or, perhaps less probably, the greatgrandfather of the emperor, L. Septimius Severus. In any case, this monument represents a new piece of evidence attesting to the obstinacy with which the civitas of Thugga courted the favour of the emperors, thereby obtaining the promotion of the whole community (which also included Roman citizens forming a pagus) to the status of municipium in 205.
Annuario Storico della Valpolicella, 2020
This paper examines the numerous attestations of the cult of the goddess Fortuna in Roman Valpoli... more This paper examines the numerous attestations of the cult of the goddess Fortuna in Roman Valpolicella, paying particular attention to the recent publication of a votive altar brought to light in the vicinity of Castelrotto. By comparing this monument with similar pieces of evidence discovered in the territory of Verona, it is possible to conclude that the cult of Fortuna enjoyed considerable popularity in Valpolicella. This confirms the intense religious life which characterised this area of the ager of Verona.
ὅρμος - Ricerche di Storia Antica, 2020
Thanks to the inscription on a statue base which the inhabitants of Naples dedicated to Severus A... more Thanks to the inscription on a statue base which the inhabitants of Naples dedicated to Severus Alexander, we know that the city had acquired the official name of Colonia Aurelia Augusta Antoniniana Felix Neapolis. The identity of the emperor who promoted Naples to the rank of colony remains nonetheless disputed. The examination of the occurrences of both the titles colonia Aurelia Antoniniana and municipium Aurelium Antoninianum on inscriptions from North Africa, Danubian provinces and Syria indicates that the majority of the epithets Antoniniana and Antoninianum were borne by cities which had obtained a new status under Caracalla. As for Augusta and Felix, it seems probable that Neapolis wanted to emulate the titles of other Campanian cities which had been promoted to the rank of colony by Augustus and the Flavians. The comparison with other regions where emperors created considerable numbers of municipia and coloniae shows that cities were allowed a certain liberty in choosing their titles, especially when the competition to obtain favours from the rulers was particularly intense.
This paper can be also downloaded here: https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/cultureesocieta/riviste/hormos/.content/documenti/5_Riccardo_Bertolazzi_Hormos_12_2020.pdf
The Classical Journal, 2019
The aim of this paper is to examine chronologically the imperial types advertising the maternity ... more The aim of this paper is to examine chronologically the imperial types advertising the maternity of Julia Domna. Several coins issued during the first years of Septimius Severus' reign celebrated the procreative capacities of the Augusta by either portraying her together with Caracalla and Geta or connecting her to representations of deities with children. Later types, however, seem to shift focus to a more universal concept of maternity by comparing Domna to deities such as Cybele, Vesta and Luna. This phenomenon became particularly evident during the reign of Caracalla, when her influence in public affairs reached its apex.
Supplementa Italica Nuova Serie, 2017
SVPPLEMENTA 11-36 Regio II ◆ Apulia et Calabria. Genusia di Custode Silvio Fioriello, Anna Mangia... more SVPPLEMENTA 11-36 Regio II ◆ Apulia et Calabria. Genusia di Custode Silvio Fioriello, Anna Mangiatordi 37-251 Regio II ◆ Apulia et Calabria. Aeclanum -Ager inter Compsam et Aeclanum di Silvia Evangelisti 253-267 Regio V ◆ Picenum. Numana di Gianfranco Paci 269-308 Regio VI ◆ Umbria. Trebiae di Giovanna Asdrubali Pentiti 309-372 Regio X ◆ Venetia et Histria. Arilica -Sirmio di Riccardo Bertolazzi, Vera Guidorizzi SVPPLEMENTORVM SVPPLEMENTA 375-390 Regio IX ◆ Liguria. Vada Sabatia di Eleonora Fiodi 391-426 Regio IX ◆ Liguria. Albingaunum di Eleonora Fiodi ITALIA, SICILIA, SARDINIA EPIGRAPHICAE 429 Repertorio bibliografico, 8, di Silvia Evangelisti e s t r a t t o e s t r a t t o REGIO X ◆ VENETIA ET HISTRIA ARILICA -SIRMIO (I.G.M. 47, II, NE; 48, III, NE, NO, IV, SO) di RiccARdo BeRtolAzzi e veRA guidoRizzi A -RAccolte che si AggioRnAno
Julia Domna, the first Syrian-born Augusta in Roman history (Emesa, 165 [ca.]-Antioch, 217 CE), i... more Julia Domna, the first Syrian-born Augusta in Roman history (Emesa, 165 [ca.]-Antioch, 217 CE), is certainly one of the most interesting women who lived at the imperial court in over three centuries of the principate. Her constant presence at the side of her husband, Septimius Severus (145-211), and her son, Caracalla (188-217), and her exceptional prominence on artworks, inscriptions, and coins has attracted the attention of many scholars in both distant and recent times. Despite this, the majority of them have concentrated their attention on a -relatively -small number of topics, such as her alleged contribution to the "orientalization" of the Empire and her role as mother in the Severan family. Over a century ago, Alfred von Domaszewski identified Domna as the responsible for the great diffusion of oriental cults and customs in Rome and the western provinces between the end of the second century and the beginning of the third. 2 During the following decades, however, the majority of scholars rejected this theory. Between the 1970s and 1980s, through the analysis of inscriptions, artworks, and coins, Kettenhofen and Ghedini stressed Domna's "Romanness" and her non-involvement in any initiative aimed at imposing "oriental" habits in the western part of the Empire. 3 Further studies on Domna's coins and inscriptions have investigated the importance of her figure in the dynastic propaganda of the Severan regime. 4 More recently, Levick's biography and Langford's study of the use of Domna's maternal image by Severus to promote the dynasty have also pondered this topic. 5 Levick and Langford, however, claimed that the political power of the Syrian Augusta could not have been as important as the great quantity of documentation about her might suggest. In my view, Domna's influence in public affairs has never been the subject of an exhaustive investigation.
This is the proofreading copy of a paper published in ZPE 208 (2018). It examines an unpublished ... more This is the proofreading copy of a paper published in ZPE 208 (2018). It examines an unpublished opistographic plaque, paying special attention to the solutions which one of its stonecutters adopted to remedy a few mistakes.
This is the final draft of a paper published in the journal Epigraphica. It examines a recently d... more This is the final draft of a paper published in the journal Epigraphica. It examines a recently discovered dedication to Fortuna from the territory of the pagus Arusnatium, in the ager of Verona. The monument was set up by woman of freeborn status, Vitullia Procula, who was probably connected to the municipal elite of Verona. Please contact the author if you need a copy of the published version of this paper.
Presentazione della collana Studi Veronesi
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This paper can be also downloaded here: https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/cultureesocieta/riviste/hormos/.content/documenti/5_Riccardo_Bertolazzi_Hormos_12_2020.pdf
This paper can be also downloaded here: https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/cultureesocieta/riviste/hormos/.content/documenti/5_Riccardo_Bertolazzi_Hormos_12_2020.pdf
Verrà presentato giovedì 30 marzo, alle ore 17, in sala Farinati - Biblioteca Civica di Verona (via Cappello, 43) il primo volume della nuova collana Studi Veronesi.
Dopo l’introduzione di Agostino Contò, responsabile della Biblioteca Civica, Fabrizio Bertoli, direttore della Biblioteca “Egidio Meneghetti” dell’Università di Verona, dialogherà con il Comitato Editoriale della collana.
La collana pubblica studi sul territorio veronese, in particolare dal punto di vista storico nelle sue diverse accezioni, ponendosi in una linea ideale di continuità con molte altre iniziative editoriali che, anche in passato, si sono occupate di questo ambito. Particolarità di Studi Veronesi, e novità rispetto al panorama degli studi locali, è però la forma di pubblicazione on-line ad accesso aperto, disponibile all’indirizzo http://www.veronastoria.it/ojs/index.php/StVer.
L’iniziativa è stata promossa da un gruppo di studiosi, tra loro amici, appassionati nella ricerca e nello studio di argomenti di storia, arte e cultura veronese. Scopo di Studi Veronesi, come illustrato nella presentazione del primo volume, edito nel 2016, è infatti «di offrire uno spazio aperto a tutti coloro che desiderano approfondire i loro studi e presentare interventi originali relativi ai molteplici aspetti della storia della città e del territorio scaligero». Carattere distintivo dell’iniziativa editoriale è «di dare a questi contenuti un accesso libero, nella convinzione che rendere le ricerche disponibili al pubblico migliori lo scambio della conoscenza a livello globale: per questo si è scelta una veste elettronica open access, prima esperienza in questo senso per ricerche dedicate a una specificità tutta veronese».
Attraverso l’utilizzo del software Open Journal Systems (OJS), Studi Veronesi garantisce infatti un’elevata visibilità in rete, affiancandosi a oltre 8.000 riviste e collane scientifiche in tutto il mondo. Ancora nella presentazione: «Questo circuito non solo rappresenta una cornice di impegno e professionalità, a cui Studi Veronesi intende aderire, ma costituisce una vera e propria sfida verso cui orientare il proprio orizzonte di ricerca».
Obiettivo della collana è infatti «rilanciare su scala planetaria contenuti che hanno un forte legame con una circoscritta realtà territoriale» e in questo modo «favorire una concreta opera di memoria e di conservazione di un patrimonio di storia, cultura e affetti».
Studi Veronesi. Miscellanea di studi sul territorio veronese. I, Verona 2016
La miscellanea di Studi Veronesi si articola in tre sezioni: Saggi, Note e documenti; Comunicazioni e rassegne bibliografiche.
Nel volume 2016, aprono la sezione Saggi due interventi legati alla vicenda di Romeo e Giulietta e al rapporto con Verona.
Andrea Brugnoli indaga la prima accoglienza in città della novella, scritta da Antonio Da Porto negli anni Venti del XVI secolo; qui venne immediatamente fatta oggetto di rielaborazioni da parte di Matteo Bandello e Gerardo Boldieri. Quest’ultimo, in particolare, risulta l’inventore della tomba dei due amanti, dettaglio che venne poi trasmesso dallo storiografo Gerolamo Dalla Corte, sancendo l’inizio di un mito che avrebbe trovato solo in seconda istanza la sua diffusione attraverso Shakespeare. Controllo dei matrimoni e dei giovani, oltreché delle magistrature cittadine rispetto alle classi mercantili emergenti: sono questi in realtà i temi di cui parlava la novella a una società che si andava fortemente cristallizzando nelle sue classi sociali.
Fausta Piccoli porta avanti la ricerca sulla ricezione veronese della storia di Romeo e Giulietta nel XVIII secolo. Attraverso l’analisi di testi e documenti veronesi e inglesi, il contributo evidenzia, come ben prima della diffusione della versione inglese di Shakespeare e del turismo romantico dell’Ottocento, esistesse e fosse tramandata, seppur sottotraccia, una “memoria veronese” delle vicende di Romeo e Giulietta e dei loro luoghi, sulla base dell’Istoria di Verona di Girolamo Dalla Corte.
Claudio Bismara porta il lettore nella contrada della Beverara agli inizi del XV secolo. Una ricchissima mole di dati tratti da fonti archivistiche permette all’autore di ricostruire sia gli aspetti materiali sia sociali ed economici della contrada, stretta attorno alla pieve di San Procolo e abitata anche da un gran numero di immigrati che si dedicano in prevalenza alla manifattura tessile.
Due i saggi della sezione Note e documenti, destinata appunto ad accogliere brevi interventi legati in particolare alla segnalazione di documenti. Andrea Brugnoli fornisce l’edizione di un documento ritenuto scomparso, del 1164, relativo a un duello giudiziale combattuto e vinto dal campione della comunità di Soave contro quella di Colognola. Giulio Zavatta segnala alcuni documenti che permettono di precisare la cronologia del progetto di Andrea Palladio per l'incompiuto palazzo Della Torre ai Portoni della Bra.
Chiude la miscellanea, nella sezione Comunicazioni e rassegne bibliografiche curata da Fausta Piccoli, un analitico indice dei contributi comparsi sulle riviste veronesi negli anni 2010-2015, nell’intento di fornire un utile strumento di ricerca su quanto edito per la storia locale, anche in pubblicazioni poco conosciute.