Renewing Athens : the ideology of the past in Roman Greece
In this thesis we explore the period of renewal that Athens experienced during the second century AD. This century saw Athens at the peak of her cultural prominence in the Roman Empire: the city was the centre of the League of the Panhellenion and hosted a vibrant sophistic scene that attracted orators from across the Greek world, developments which were ideologically fuelled by contemporary conceptions of Classical Athens. While this Athenian 'golden age' is a standard feature of scholarship on Greek culture under Rome, my thesis delves further to explore the renewal of the urban and rural landscapes at this time and the relationship between that process and constructions of Athenian identity. We approach the renewal of second-century Athens through four lenses: past and present in the Ilissos area; the rhetoric of the Panhellenion; elite conflict and competition; and the character of the Attic countryside. My central conclusions are as follows: 1. The renewal of Athens was effected chiefly by Hadrian and the Athenian elite and was modelled on an ideal Athenian past, strategically manipulated to suit present purpose; the attractions of the fifth-century golden age for this programme of renewal meant that
McHugh, Sarah
History ; Ancient ; Panhellenion ; euergetism ; Athens ; renewal ; Attica ; Roman Empire ; 2nd Century AD ; Pausanias ; culture ; urban landscape ; Hadrianic ; Greek culture ; Cephisia ; estate ; elite ; Marathon ; revival ; Emperor ; Philostratus ; Second Sophistic ; gravestone ; Marcus Aurelius ; benefactor ; Antonine ; city ; Herodes Atticus ; countryside ; Milesian ; sacro-idyllic ; rural landscape ; restoration ; Hadrian ; villa ; Roman Greece ; Ilissos
Renewing Athens : the ideology of the past in Roman Greece. In this thesis we explore the period of renewal that Athens experienced during the second century AD. This century saw Athens at the peak of her cultural prominence in the Roman Empire: the city was the centre of the League of the Panhellenion and hosted a vibrant sophistic scene that attracted orators from across the Greek world, developments which were ideologically fuelled by contemporary conceptions of Classical Athens. While this Athenian 'golden age' is a standard feature of scholarship on Greek culture under Rome, my thesis delves further to explore the renewal of the urban and rural landscapes at this time and the relationship between that process and constructions of Athenian identity. We approach the renewal of second-century Athens through four lenses: past and present in the Ilissos area; the rhetoric of the Panhellenion; elite conflict and competition; and the character of the Attic countryside. My central conclusions are as follows: 1. The renewal of Athens was effected chiefly by Hadrian and the Athenian elite and was modelled on an ideal Athenian past, strategically manipulated to suit present purpose; the attractions of the fifth-century golden age for this programme of renewal meant that
athens ideology past roman greece explore period renewal athens experienced century saw athens peak cultural prominence roman_empire city centre league host vibrant scene attract orator across greek_world development ideologically fuel contemporary conception classical_athens athenian golden_age standard feature scholarship greek_culture rome delve explore renewal urban_rural landscape time relationship process construction athenian identity renewal second_century athens lens past_present area rhetoric elite conflict competition character attic countryside central conclusion follow renewal athens effect chiefly athenian elite model ideal athenian past strategically manipulate suit present purpose attraction fifth_century golden_age programme renewal meant