Alberto Cafaro | University of Siena / Università di Siena (original) (raw)

Papers by Alberto Cafaro

Zeitschrift für papyrologie und epigraphik, 226 , 2023

Zeitschrift für papyrologie und epigraphik, 223 , 2022

History of Classical Scholarship 5, 2023

Negli ultimi anni, aspetti rilevanti della complessa personalità e della produzione scientifica d... more Negli ultimi anni, aspetti rilevanti della complessa personalità e della produzione scientifica di Ettore Pais sono stati rivelati dalla pubblicazione di lettere e documenti a lungo inediti. Particolare attenzione, a questo riguardo, ha ricevuto il carteggio con Theodor Mommsen, presso il quale Pais trascorse alcuni mesi fra 1881 e 1883. A quel tempo, il giovane poteva già vantare una formazione d'eccellenza, conseguita presso l'Istituto di Studi Superiori di Firenze; egli era inoltre Direttore del Museo dell'Università di Sassari (più tardi divenne Direttore del Museo archeologico di Cagliari). È difficile sopravvalutare l'importanza che, in quei primi anni di attività, rivestì Giuseppe Fiorelli, Direttore generale alle Antichità e Belle Arti, da cui Pais dipendeva e che assicurò al giovane importanti opportunità di carriera e, in particolare, la possibilità di recarsi in Germania. Il successo più tardi conseguito da Pais ha parzialmente oscurato i suoi primi anni di intensa attività scientifica. La presente selezione raccoglie documenti e lettere inedite, datati fra 1878 e 1884 e concepiti o indirizzati alla Direzione Generale; Pais vi figura come destinatario, mittente o oggetto. Il materiale che qui si pubblica offre importanti elementi per la comprensione del percorso formativo e professionale del giovane Ettore Pais, che in quegli anni sviluppò in autonomia quel metodo d'indagine fondato sull'analisi rigorosa dei documenti antichi, che fu poi cifra caratterizzante della sua attività scientifica. Per quanto importante, l'esperienza berlinese si iscrisse dunque in un percorso scientifico pienamente coerente, in cui la formazione fiorentina e l'esperienza alla guida dei musei sardi esercitarono un'influenza di assoluto rilievo.

FOLD&R - Italy. The Journal of Fasti Online, 560, 2023

This paper aims to investigate the political and economic resources of the civic élite of Luna be... more This paper aims to investigate the political and economic resources of the civic élite of Luna between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, from the post-Sullan Republic to the Julio-Claudian age. Service in local institutions and wealth defined the role and significance of the domi nobiles in their civic contexts. Unfortunately, their inscriptions mainly dealt with civic offices and withheld almost any information about their economic interests. This study compares the archaeological findings from Luna and its surroundings with the inscriptions mentioning the holders of the highest post in local institutionsthe duumvirate. The excavations promoted by the University of Pisa near Porta Marina brought to light two domus (A and B), which belonged to some members of the local élite between the 70s BC and the 70s AD when a small temple on a podium superseded the atrium of domus B. A comparison between contemporary archaeological and epigraphic evidence from inside and outside the city reveals a consistent picture of local history, providing some relevant insights into the political and economic resources of the civic élite of an Italian town at the dawn of the Imperial age.

Revue des études anciennes 124.2, 2022

Recognising the role played by the legions in preserving the Augustan regime, Tacitus famously re... more Recognising the role played by the legions in preserving the Augustan regime, Tacitus famously redefined the Roman State as Senatus milesque et populus. Modern historians have long acknowledged the political significance of Roman legions during the Empire, although scholarly attention mainly focused on the bond between emperors and soldiers. The existence of any relation between the Senate and legions has generally been underestimated, or plainly denied. The evidence in Tacitus suggests a more problematic approach, especially in the Historiae. ‘The senator as historian’ (Syme) described the Senate and the legions as effective centres of power. The former was the highest representative of the propertied classes, while the latter enjoyed the full monopoly of violence – the stability of the empire depended on the balance of power between those actors and the emperors. Through the analysis of Tacitus’ works, this paper aims at redefining the role played by the council of patres and the citizens in arms in the political context of the imperial State – a most needed relation beyond (and even despite) the emperors themselves.

Epigraphica, 84, 2022

This paper deals with the use of the term primus in the inscriptions from the Western provinces, ... more This paper deals with the use of the term primus in the inscriptions from the Western provinces, between the Augustan and the Severan age. This expression has attracted much scholarly attention, as it was used to identify the ‘firsts’ in a given community. The élites in Rome and Italy used to boast such a distinction, and this custom gradually spread across the provinces. Through the collection of the available evidence and the analysis of those who styled themselves as primi, this paper aims at investigating the epigraphic culture and the mentality of the local élites in the Western provinces.

Quaderni di Storia, 96, 2022

Despite being one of the most prominent statesmen in the two decades between Sulla’s demise and t... more Despite being one of the most prominent statesmen in the two decades between Sulla’s demise and the compact of 60 BC, Q. Lutatius Catulus (cos. 78 BC) has received little academic attention. Scholars often tend to oversimplify his long career, presenting him as a Sullan partisan and a fierce opponent of the so-called populares. Yet, throughout his career, Catulus struggled to propose a consistent political agenda – grounded on the idea of strengthening the law against any threat to order and property – to the wealthy classes and the Sullan veterans. By focusing on the literary and epigraphic evidence dealing with Catulus’ accomplishments and resources, this paper aims to investigate practical policy-making in the post-Sullan Republic and to inquire into the opportunity to start a consistent political agenda before the potentes took over the Republic. As we shall see, Catulus represented concrete interests, and his political legacy outlived him well into the imperial age.

Humanidades em Revista, 4.1, 2022

According to Suetonius, Tiberius told governors who were suggesting to impose burdensome taxes on... more According to Suetonius, Tiberius told governors who were suggesting to impose burdensome taxes on the provinces, that 'it was the part of a good shepherd to shear his flock, not skin it' (Tib. 32.2). Such a paternalistic approach was deeply rooted in the mentality of senators of the late Republic and early Empire: provincials were (almost) harmless subjects whom governors had to protect, rather than abuse. As it is well known, Cicero clearly shared this perspective. This paper will deal with some remarks on military matters and provincial elites included in his correspondence as governor of Cilicia. As a matter of fact, even if he styled himself as an exemplar governor and boasted the enthusiastic support of Cilician communities, provincials played a minor role in his correspondence, whose outlook is strikingly similar to Tiberius'. Especially regarding military matters, the governor did not credit the provincials with giving a significant contribution to the defence of their province and his later success against the tribes of the Amanus mountain. As we shall see, the actual reality of Cicero's campaign in Cilicia reveals the role played by the provincials and their elites in keeping under control and defend their home regions. Cicero was possibly unwilling to admit that the local elites were needed to protect the Mediterranean empire, as this conclusion could have practical consequences on their political standing. Cicero's (and Tiberius') words are deceptive: the leading men of the provinces were much more than a flock of sheep, and the extent of their actual influence still awaits to be fully recognised.

Amici Populi Romani 11, A. Coskun (ed.), Waterloo, On. 2021 (URL: http://www.altaycoskun.com/apr/), 2021

D. Dixneuf (ed.), LRCW 5 : Late Roman coarse wares, cooking wares and amphorae in the Mediterranean. Archaeology and Archaeometry (ÉTUDES ALEXANDRINES, 1), Alexandria., 2017

Il distretto costiero noto nelle fonti antiche come Vada Volaterrana, fulcro del sistema portuale... more Il distretto costiero noto nelle fonti antiche come Vada Volaterrana, fulcro del sistema portuale di Volterra, presenta un retroterra ricco per attività agricole e manifatturiere e, a giudicare dalle fonti documentarie e dai rinvenimenti archeologici, fu inserito nelle dinamiche commerciali mediterranee sino agli inizi del VII sec. d.C. Un quartiere retroportuale di Vada Volaterrana, ubicato alla periferia nord della cittadina, (loc. S. Gaetano di Vada), è da anni in corso di scavo da parte del nostro team. Il contesto che pubblichiamo in questa sede è pertinente allo scarico del frigidarium delle Piccole Terme, edificio di carattere privato, ad uso esclusivo del personale che lavorava negli horrea e/o ne gestiva le attività.

A. Sebastiani, C. Megale (eds.), Archaeological Landscapes of Roman Etruria Research and Field Papers (MediTo - Archaeological and Historical Landscapes of Mediterranean Central Italy , 1), Turnhout., 2021

Part of: S. Menchelli, P. Sangriso, A. Cafaro, S. Genovesi, S. Marini, R. Marcheschi, Luna: the A... more Part of: S. Menchelli, P. Sangriso, A. Cafaro, S. Genovesi, S. Marini, R. Marcheschi, Luna: the Area of Porta Marina between the Republican and the Imperial Periods

Rendiconti della Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia, 92, 2020

Le comunicazioni scientifiche sono sottoposte a peer-review. This document may be printed for pri... more Le comunicazioni scientifiche sono sottoposte a peer-review. This document may be printed for private use only.

Studi Classici e Orientali 65, 2019

The post of praefectus fabrum was granted by a magistrate cum imperio on the basis of trust, loya... more The post of praefectus fabrum was granted by a magistrate cum imperio on the basis of trust, loyalty, and competence. In general, the appointees have been described as ‘senior officers on the staff’ of the appointing magistrates. However, little is known about the tasks attached to the post, even if the praefectura fabrum is well attested both in literary texts and inscriptions. The Epitoma rei militaris is the only extant source devoting a passage to the duties of the prefects of engineers. In spite of being a detailed description of the post, this passage has generally been dismissed – notably by H. Maué and B. Dobson – as untrustworthy or useless for a number of reasons, including the fact that, at the time of the Epitoma’s composition, the praefectura fabrum was no more than a relic, or a name in ancient texts and inscriptions. According to Vegetius, the prefect led the corps of technicians attached to the legions. Moreover, he was put in charge of siege machines and the supply of projectiles and other materials. Even if this description and what is known about the praefectura fabrum are not consistent, a re-examination of the passage and of the text as a whole is needed. In fact, the Epitoma reveals a deeper knowledge of the importance attached to the post than expected in such a late source. A focus on this text will offer some useful insights on the sources available to Vegetius, and to what they stated about the tasks attached to the praefectus itself. In addition to this, it will be possible to trace the duties of the post back to its origins and investigate on how the praefectura fabrum became the institutional and political office which we known from the available sources.

Ancient Society 47, 2017

Since the book that H. Maué devoted to the praefectura fabrum in 1887, the relationship between t... more Since the book that H. Maué devoted to the praefectura fabrum in 1887, the relationship between the post of ‘prefect of the engineers’ and the collegia fabrum has been a matter of scholarly discussion. The debate hinges on two inscriptions concerning L. P apirianus, praefectus fabrum Romae et Tergeste, and on the widely held belief that there were (at least) two different kinds of praefectura fabrum: a military post awarded by imperium-holding magistrates to individuals with a military background, and a command over the collegia fabrum, assigned by the emperor to the members of the civic elites recruited across the Empire. The scholarly view that juxtaposed the praefectura fabrum with the collegial magistracies was intended to solve the puzzle of the role of the praefectura under the Principate, when it was often associated with prominent municipal careers. This interpretation, however, is untenable for a number of reasons: notably the different institutional nature of the praefectura fabrum and the praefectura collegii fabrum, and the picture conveyed by the epigraphic evidence for both posts. This paper offers a re-examination of the available documentation, and proposes a new interpretation of the Papirianus inscriptions.

D. Dixneuf (ed.), LRCW 5 - 1 Late Roman coarse wares, cooking wares and amphorae in the Mediterranean Archaeology and archaeometry, 2017

The paper deals with a Late Roman pottery assemblage (amphoras and coarse wares) from Vada Volate... more The paper deals with a Late Roman pottery assemblage (amphoras and coarse wares) from Vada Volaterrana. The context under examination is a backyard behind the bathhouse ('Piccole Terme'). The chronology of the assemblage is restricted to the second half of the fifth century AD.

Books by Alberto Cafaro

Governare l’impero. La praefectura fabrum fra legami personali e azione politica (II sec. a. C. – III sec. d. C.), 2021

La praefectura fabrum era una posizione istituzionale affidata su base fiduciaria dai magistrati ... more La praefectura fabrum era una posizione istituzionale affidata su base fiduciaria dai magistrati cum imperio, figure apicali della politica romana. Indipendentemente dalle mansioni dei prefetti, definite dai loro deleganti, l'incarico dimostrava l'esistenza di vincoli di lealtà personale e politica fra magistrati curuli e personalità dei municipi, delle colonie e delle province. Per profilo e funzioni, la prefettura era dunque uno strumento ideale per stringere e consolidare relazioni fra le classi proprietarie dell'Urbe e quelle della "periferia".
Questo libro affronta in modo sistematico la documentazione relativa alla prefettura dei fabri, dalla sua più antica attestazione, nel II sec. a. C., all'età severiana e ne esamina l'evoluzione e la funzione all'interno del mutevole sistema istituzionale e politico romano. Il volume è arricchito da un ampio catalogo prosopografico dedicato ai prefetti attestati. Ampio spazio è dedicato al ruolo dei prefetti nel contesto socio-politico ad essi contemporaneo e alla posizione della praefectura fabrum nella cultura e nella prassi politiche delle élites (urbane e non), evidenziandone l'importanza per il governo dell'Impero.

Book Reviews by Alberto Cafaro

Rivista Storica Italiana , 2022

Recensione a: Select Correspondence of Ronald Syme, 1927-1939, ed. Anthony R. Birley («History of... more Recensione a: Select Correspondence of Ronald Syme, 1927-1939, ed. Anthony R. Birley («History of Classical Scholarship», Supplementary Volume, 1), Newcastle upon Tyne-Venezia, 2020, pp. 211; https://www.hcsjournal.org/ojs/index.php/hcs/article/view/SV0.