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Papers by Tatjana Sandon

European Review of History: Revue europeenne d'histoire, 2014

Papers of the British School at Rome

This article focuses on the role of concubinae in the Roman world, through analysis of inscriptio... more This article focuses on the role of concubinae in the Roman world, through analysis of inscriptions and reliefs on funerary monuments involving these women and their relatives. It investigates why concubinatus was chosen in preference to legal marriage, and how the concubina was perceived as a member of her partner's family. The results bring to light how this type of quasi-marital union was an appealing option for men of social standing, and that the role of concubinae accepted by their partners was not so dissimilar to that of legal wives. The article considers funerary monuments from Roman Italy, dating from the first century BC to the early third century AD. It deals with the role of Roman concubinae by analysing tombstones from both an archaeological and historical point of view; the aim of this analysis is to reconstruct a social pattern of concubinatus and of the individuals involved in this type of quasi-marital relationship, with the aid of two different types of ancien...

Legal marriages were forbidden to slaves in Roman times, but this limitation dropped if they were... more Legal marriages were forbidden to slaves in Roman times, but this limitation dropped if they were manumitted by their masters and become freedpersons. According to ancient sources, a marriage between a patron and his freedwoman was encouraged by laws and welcomed by society, even if the man was freeborn.!
The situation was completely different in case a freeborn man had a relationship with a freedwoman who belonged to a different familia, a so-called liberta aliena. This type of union was strongly opposed by the Romans for legal reasons, either it was a proper marriage or just concubinage. Nevertheless, several epigraphic monuments prove that these relationships were more common than we may think, especially in small urban contexts outside Rome.!
Gravestones have provided much information about the life of the people involved in these unions, and the personal details are very useful to reconstruct the social, economic and familial context.!
The aim of this paper is to present the figure of these libertae alienae and the impact their bonds with freeborn men may have had within local communities. Another topic that should be considered is how the couples arranged to be remembered by posterity trough the funerary monuments; the choice of reporting on stone their relationship is a sign of pride and not of shame, and a clue that, in some way, these relationships were, if not totally accepted, at least admitted by society.

In the Roman world, manumission was the only way slaves had to be freed and start a new life. Thi... more In the Roman world, manumission was the only way slaves had to be freed and start a new life. This practice was quite common, as contemporary laws and literary sources prove.
Life after slavery must not have been so easy for freedmen, though, as they always carried the macula servitutis. It was even harder for freedwomen, who had the double flaw of being ex-slaves and also women. However, despite this unfortunate state, Roman libertae left a very large number of inscriptions, in which we can read a lot of useful information for our attempt to reconstruct their lives.
By analysing these texts, we can shed light on some specific topics, such as the professions freedwomen practiced, their religious beliefs and the identity of their patrons. A very interesting aspect is related to their marriages: sometimes, the choice of a specific partner was not only driven by personal feelings, but it was also encouraged by the social environment in which the freedwoman lived.
This paper is going to outline a general portrait of Roman freedwomen, underling both the common aspects, that can be found anywhere in Italy, but also the geographical and social differences, which contribute to a more complex definition of Roman libertae.

Venetia, which was part of the Augustus’ X Regio, had the first relations with Rome since the 3rd... more Venetia, which was part of the Augustus’ X Regio, had the first relations with Rome since the 3rd century B.C. Due to the peaceful attitude of its inhabitants, the Veneti, this region started soon to build and keep contacts and trades with the Republic first, and with the imperial power after. Many inscriptions found in this land show how these relationships continued at least until the 3rd century A.D., when the barbaric invasion from north put the Venetia into a climate of destabilization and terror.
The epigraphic evidence points out the different types of relationships that the Venetian cities kept with the imperial families and how the Emperors, their relatives and officers acted with benevolence towards them. Statues and pro salute vows were just the most common ways to appeal to the Emperor’s attention or thank him for his generosity, often manifested by issuing edicts or financing public works.
This connection between the Venetia and Rome was also assured by local important politicians, who never forgot their hometown, even after reaching significant positions in the Capital, and contributed to the embellishment of their cities and carried the requests of their fellow citizens directly to the Emperors.
Last aspect to mention is the strategic role this region had inside the political geography of the Empire: close to two important productive areas of Noricum and Histria, northern border of the peninsula, Venetia was a land to protect from the attacks of the outsiders with forts and walls, and these defenses were often too expensive for small towns, so the imperial aid was essential.

Book Reviews by Tatjana Sandon

Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2019

Review of History: Revue europeenne d’histoire, Vol. 21, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 114-116

Posters by Tatjana Sandon

The poster focuses on the diffusion of Greek and Latin cognomina amongst the children of Roman fr... more The poster focuses on the diffusion of Greek and Latin cognomina amongst the children of Roman freedwomen in Rome, Italy and the Roman provinces; in particular, I am going to show some specific connections between the type of name (i.e. Greek or Latin) and the legal status of the child (freeborn, freed, slave), confirming, through the analysis of quite a big sample of names, some general guidelines proposed by other scholars in previous studies. The analysis of onomastics of slave, freed and freeborn children is useful for trying to identify the legal status of all those children defined as incerti, throwing more light to a topic still very open to discussion.

For all female slaves manumission represented the end of slavery and the beginning of a free life... more For all female slaves manumission represented the end of slavery and the beginning of a free life, but this did not mean for all of them a radical change in their lifestyle. Many freedwomen continued to practice the same profession and relations with slave members of their previous familia, as the epigraphic evidence shows. On the contrary, for some libertae manumission acted as a separation from their previous social conditions and transformed their lives completely.
This poster aims to show continuity and discontinuity that may have occurred in the life of these women, regarding their jobs, relationships and social statuses.

Dissertations by Tatjana Sandon

Cercare di ricostruire i confini di Vicenza in epoca romana risulta abbastanza difficile, sia per... more Cercare di ricostruire i confini di Vicenza in epoca romana risulta abbastanza difficile, sia per le poche informazioni fornite dalle fonti letterarie sia perché il suolo vicentino, nel corso dei secoli, ha subito dei profondi cambiamenti a livello geomorfologico che hanno cancellato molti degli elementi del passato. Rispetto all'area attuale, l'antica Vicetia doveva occupare un'estensione minore; deteneva comunque quelle caratteristiche, tuttora presenti, di zona pianeggiante affiancata da colline e rilievi prealpini 1 . L'importanza della città era data soprattutto dalla sua posizione strategica, in quanto situata in un luogo di passaggio obbligato per chi scendeva dalle montagne e per chi attraversava la direttrice ovest-est della pianura padana, rappresentata dal 148 a.C. dalla Via Postumia. Questa strada, costruita dal console Spurio Postumio Albino, collegava Genova ad Aquileia, ricalcando probabilmente un'antica pista precedentemente usata dai Veneti. Le città che venivano toccate dalla Via Postumia erano, in ordine, Genova, punto di partenza della stessa, Tortona, Piacenza, Cremona, Verona, Vicenza, Oderzo, Concordia e giungeva infine ad Aquileia; il tracciato proposto non è per certo e studiosi, come per esempio Fraccaro 2 , non concordano sul percorso seguito dalla via, in particolar modo per i tratti inerenti Oderzo e la stessa Vicenza 3 . In ogni caso la Postumia si affiancava a quel sistema commerciale di natura fluviale che nell'area della Venetia vedeva protagonisti vari corsi d'acqua, tra i quali il Retrone e l'Astico, diretti verso l'Adriatico; così Vicenza diventava un altro punto di riferimento, questa volta legato allo spostamento di merci via fiume. 1 P. TOZZI, Lettura topografica del territorio, in Storia di Vicenza, I, Vicenza 1987, pp. 131-134. 2 In particolare si veda P. FRACCARO, La via Postumia nella Venezia, in Opuscola, III, Pavia 1957, pp. 195-227. 3 L. BOSIO, Il territorio: la viabilità e il paesaggio agrario, in Il Veneto nell'età romana, I, Verona 1987, pp. 69-72; L. BOSIO, Le strade romane della Venetia e dell'Histria, Padova 1997, pp. 43-57.

Conference Presentations by Tatjana Sandon

European Review of History: Revue europeenne d'histoire, 2014

Papers of the British School at Rome

This article focuses on the role of concubinae in the Roman world, through analysis of inscriptio... more This article focuses on the role of concubinae in the Roman world, through analysis of inscriptions and reliefs on funerary monuments involving these women and their relatives. It investigates why concubinatus was chosen in preference to legal marriage, and how the concubina was perceived as a member of her partner's family. The results bring to light how this type of quasi-marital union was an appealing option for men of social standing, and that the role of concubinae accepted by their partners was not so dissimilar to that of legal wives. The article considers funerary monuments from Roman Italy, dating from the first century BC to the early third century AD. It deals with the role of Roman concubinae by analysing tombstones from both an archaeological and historical point of view; the aim of this analysis is to reconstruct a social pattern of concubinatus and of the individuals involved in this type of quasi-marital relationship, with the aid of two different types of ancien...

Legal marriages were forbidden to slaves in Roman times, but this limitation dropped if they were... more Legal marriages were forbidden to slaves in Roman times, but this limitation dropped if they were manumitted by their masters and become freedpersons. According to ancient sources, a marriage between a patron and his freedwoman was encouraged by laws and welcomed by society, even if the man was freeborn.!
The situation was completely different in case a freeborn man had a relationship with a freedwoman who belonged to a different familia, a so-called liberta aliena. This type of union was strongly opposed by the Romans for legal reasons, either it was a proper marriage or just concubinage. Nevertheless, several epigraphic monuments prove that these relationships were more common than we may think, especially in small urban contexts outside Rome.!
Gravestones have provided much information about the life of the people involved in these unions, and the personal details are very useful to reconstruct the social, economic and familial context.!
The aim of this paper is to present the figure of these libertae alienae and the impact their bonds with freeborn men may have had within local communities. Another topic that should be considered is how the couples arranged to be remembered by posterity trough the funerary monuments; the choice of reporting on stone their relationship is a sign of pride and not of shame, and a clue that, in some way, these relationships were, if not totally accepted, at least admitted by society.

In the Roman world, manumission was the only way slaves had to be freed and start a new life. Thi... more In the Roman world, manumission was the only way slaves had to be freed and start a new life. This practice was quite common, as contemporary laws and literary sources prove.
Life after slavery must not have been so easy for freedmen, though, as they always carried the macula servitutis. It was even harder for freedwomen, who had the double flaw of being ex-slaves and also women. However, despite this unfortunate state, Roman libertae left a very large number of inscriptions, in which we can read a lot of useful information for our attempt to reconstruct their lives.
By analysing these texts, we can shed light on some specific topics, such as the professions freedwomen practiced, their religious beliefs and the identity of their patrons. A very interesting aspect is related to their marriages: sometimes, the choice of a specific partner was not only driven by personal feelings, but it was also encouraged by the social environment in which the freedwoman lived.
This paper is going to outline a general portrait of Roman freedwomen, underling both the common aspects, that can be found anywhere in Italy, but also the geographical and social differences, which contribute to a more complex definition of Roman libertae.

Venetia, which was part of the Augustus’ X Regio, had the first relations with Rome since the 3rd... more Venetia, which was part of the Augustus’ X Regio, had the first relations with Rome since the 3rd century B.C. Due to the peaceful attitude of its inhabitants, the Veneti, this region started soon to build and keep contacts and trades with the Republic first, and with the imperial power after. Many inscriptions found in this land show how these relationships continued at least until the 3rd century A.D., when the barbaric invasion from north put the Venetia into a climate of destabilization and terror.
The epigraphic evidence points out the different types of relationships that the Venetian cities kept with the imperial families and how the Emperors, their relatives and officers acted with benevolence towards them. Statues and pro salute vows were just the most common ways to appeal to the Emperor’s attention or thank him for his generosity, often manifested by issuing edicts or financing public works.
This connection between the Venetia and Rome was also assured by local important politicians, who never forgot their hometown, even after reaching significant positions in the Capital, and contributed to the embellishment of their cities and carried the requests of their fellow citizens directly to the Emperors.
Last aspect to mention is the strategic role this region had inside the political geography of the Empire: close to two important productive areas of Noricum and Histria, northern border of the peninsula, Venetia was a land to protect from the attacks of the outsiders with forts and walls, and these defenses were often too expensive for small towns, so the imperial aid was essential.

Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2019

Review of History: Revue europeenne d’histoire, Vol. 21, Issue 1, 2014, pp. 114-116

The poster focuses on the diffusion of Greek and Latin cognomina amongst the children of Roman fr... more The poster focuses on the diffusion of Greek and Latin cognomina amongst the children of Roman freedwomen in Rome, Italy and the Roman provinces; in particular, I am going to show some specific connections between the type of name (i.e. Greek or Latin) and the legal status of the child (freeborn, freed, slave), confirming, through the analysis of quite a big sample of names, some general guidelines proposed by other scholars in previous studies. The analysis of onomastics of slave, freed and freeborn children is useful for trying to identify the legal status of all those children defined as incerti, throwing more light to a topic still very open to discussion.

For all female slaves manumission represented the end of slavery and the beginning of a free life... more For all female slaves manumission represented the end of slavery and the beginning of a free life, but this did not mean for all of them a radical change in their lifestyle. Many freedwomen continued to practice the same profession and relations with slave members of their previous familia, as the epigraphic evidence shows. On the contrary, for some libertae manumission acted as a separation from their previous social conditions and transformed their lives completely.
This poster aims to show continuity and discontinuity that may have occurred in the life of these women, regarding their jobs, relationships and social statuses.

Cercare di ricostruire i confini di Vicenza in epoca romana risulta abbastanza difficile, sia per... more Cercare di ricostruire i confini di Vicenza in epoca romana risulta abbastanza difficile, sia per le poche informazioni fornite dalle fonti letterarie sia perché il suolo vicentino, nel corso dei secoli, ha subito dei profondi cambiamenti a livello geomorfologico che hanno cancellato molti degli elementi del passato. Rispetto all'area attuale, l'antica Vicetia doveva occupare un'estensione minore; deteneva comunque quelle caratteristiche, tuttora presenti, di zona pianeggiante affiancata da colline e rilievi prealpini 1 . L'importanza della città era data soprattutto dalla sua posizione strategica, in quanto situata in un luogo di passaggio obbligato per chi scendeva dalle montagne e per chi attraversava la direttrice ovest-est della pianura padana, rappresentata dal 148 a.C. dalla Via Postumia. Questa strada, costruita dal console Spurio Postumio Albino, collegava Genova ad Aquileia, ricalcando probabilmente un'antica pista precedentemente usata dai Veneti. Le città che venivano toccate dalla Via Postumia erano, in ordine, Genova, punto di partenza della stessa, Tortona, Piacenza, Cremona, Verona, Vicenza, Oderzo, Concordia e giungeva infine ad Aquileia; il tracciato proposto non è per certo e studiosi, come per esempio Fraccaro 2 , non concordano sul percorso seguito dalla via, in particolar modo per i tratti inerenti Oderzo e la stessa Vicenza 3 . In ogni caso la Postumia si affiancava a quel sistema commerciale di natura fluviale che nell'area della Venetia vedeva protagonisti vari corsi d'acqua, tra i quali il Retrone e l'Astico, diretti verso l'Adriatico; così Vicenza diventava un altro punto di riferimento, questa volta legato allo spostamento di merci via fiume. 1 P. TOZZI, Lettura topografica del territorio, in Storia di Vicenza, I, Vicenza 1987, pp. 131-134. 2 In particolare si veda P. FRACCARO, La via Postumia nella Venezia, in Opuscola, III, Pavia 1957, pp. 195-227. 3 L. BOSIO, Il territorio: la viabilità e il paesaggio agrario, in Il Veneto nell'età romana, I, Verona 1987, pp. 69-72; L. BOSIO, Le strade romane della Venetia e dell'Histria, Padova 1997, pp. 43-57.