We surpass the beautiful waters of other cities by the abundance of ours. Reconciling function and decoration in late-antique fountains (original) (raw)

2012, Journal of Late Antiquity

"""Both their decorative façades and the cooling effect of flowing water caused fountains to have an extremely pleasing effect on the hot and crowded cities of the Eastern Mediterranean during the Imperial period. Wayfarers could enjoy the view, drink the water, rest on the railings and steps and relax for a moment or two before moving on. Libanius testified to the ongoing importance of water in the 4th century when he praised the abundant water resources of his native city Antioch-on-the-Orontes, claiming that ‘We surpass the beautiful waters of other cities by the abundance of ours’. In spite of this praise, Late Antique fountains have hitherto aroused little interest among scholars, although a multitude of studies have been devoted to their Imperial predecessors. General overviews on newly built Late Antique fountains as well as on the maintenance of earlier examples are still few and far between. Indeed, the majority of existing studies tend to focus on monumental fountains in the original building phase, thoughtlessly dismissing subsequent structural, decorative and technical alterations or vaguely designating them as occurring in a ‘Byzantine building phase’. Yet, because these fountains were still functioning well into Late Antiquity, they remained an integral part of the cityscape for the centuries that followed. Recently, the renewed interest in the evolution of the urban fabric and water supply networks in Late Antiquity – for instance at Aphrodisias, Sagalassos, Ephesus, Laodikeia and Gortyn – has resulted in the publication of studies on previously unknown monumental fountains as well as in the restudy of others. This article intends to combine the results of such isolated studies and to present a comprehensive overview of fountains in the Eastern Mediterranean of Late Antiquity, with a strong focus on Asia Minor and Greece. The aim is to outline the appearance of newly built fountains as well as to sketch the energy invested in the maintenance of earlier ones. Moreover, the utilitarian function of fountains and their meaning within the Late Antique cityscape will be examined. Finally, we wish to address broader issues such as the presumed reduced water supply reported in some cities of Late Antiquity and the importance of fountains for the decorative aspect of the urban fabric."""