Spatial narratives in ancient Rome: on the configuration of historical space in the urban topography of the Republic and early Empire.

Abstract

This thesis examines the narrative structure of monumental configurations of late Republican and early Imperial Rome by applying the theory of 'spatial narratives', which finds its origin in the field of cultural geography. This theory differentiates between three strategies which can be used to tell stories in landscape: single-point, sequential, and complex configurations of space. This thesis offers an analysis of the configuration of the monument of Caesar that was erected in the Forum Romanum in 44 B.C., the Roman triumph, and the Forum Romanum during the reign of Augustus. By examining whether narrative strategies were deployed in ancient Rome, we can deepen our understanding of the ways in which the Romans used landscape as a medium for storytelling. Furthermore, it may help us develop a more systematic approach for studying Rome's topography.