In the Domestic Architecture of Late Antique Anatolia: Changes and Transformations in the Private Setting
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ARCHITECTURAL ELABORATION OF THE ‘PUBLIC’ IN THE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF LATE ANTIQUE ANATOLIA: CHANGES AND TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE PRIVATE SETTING A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY ESRA ÇONKIR IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE DECEMBER 2005 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences ___________________________ Prof. Dr. Sencer AYATA Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. _________________________ Prof. Dr. Suna GÜVEN Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. __________________________ Asst. Prof. Dr. Lale ÖZGENEL Supervisor Examining Committee Members: Prof. Dr. Suna GÜVEN (METU, AH) _________________________ Asst. Prof. Dr. Lale ÖZGENEL (METU, AH) _________________________ Asst. Prof. Dr. Burcu ERCİYAS (METU, CRP) _________________________ I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name: Signature : iii ABSTRACT ARCHITECTURAL ELABORATION OF THE ‘PUBLIC’ IN THE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF LATE ANTIQUE ANATOLIA: CHANGES AND TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE PRIVATE SETTING Çonkır, Esra M. A., Department of History of Architecture Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Lale ÖZGENEL December 2005, 134 pages This thesis studies the continuity, change and transformation of the Roman domestic architecture in Asia Minor in late antiquity with reference to the social and political dynamics and the urban context of the period. The sample is chosen from the well-preserved and studied late antique houses in Asia Minor, which provide considerable information and insight into the domestic context of the period. In the light of architectural evidence coming from these houses late antique domestic architecture is discussed with a special emphasis on the ‘privatization’ and ‘elaboration’ of ‘public’ within the domestic context. Keywords: Late Antiquity, Roman Houses, Anatolia, Public, Private iv ÖZ ANADOLUDAKİ GEÇ ANTİK DÖNEM KONUTLARINDA ‘KAMUSAL’IN MİMARİ VURGUSU: ÖZEL ALANDAKİ DEĞİŞİMLER VE DÖNÜŞÜMLER Çonkır, Esra Yüksek Lisans, Mimarlık Tarihi Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Y. Doç. Dr. Lale ÖZGENEL Aralık 2005, 134 sayfa Bu tez Anadolu’daki Roma dönemi konutlarının geç antik çağda, dönemin sosyal politik ve kentsel bağlamları ile ilişkili olarak sergilediği devamlılığı, değişimi ve dönüşümü incelemektedir. Çalışmaya baz olan örnekler Anadolu’da bulunan iyi korunmuş ve dönemin konut olgusu hakkında önemli bilgiler sunan geç antik dönem konutlarından oluşmaktadır. Bu örneklerden elde edilen veriler doğrultusunda geç antik dönem konutları, ‘özelleştirme’ ve ‘kamusal’ın konut bağlamında yorumlanması ve öne çıkarılması teması etrafında incelenmiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Geç Antik Dönem, Roma Konutları, Anadolu, Kamusal Mekanlar v To My Family vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I express my deepest gratitude to Asst. Prof. Dr. Lale Özgenel not only for her professional assistance and guidance but also for her personal support, trust and encouragement. This study would not be so satisfactory and pleasant without her enthusiasm. I am also indebted to Prof. Dr. Suna Güven and Asst. Prof. Dr. Burcu Erciyas for their valuable comments and suggestions. I am particularly grateful to my family and grand family for their extensive love and support not only during the preparation of this thesis but throughout my life. I always feel so lucky to have such a good family. I would also like to thank all my friends for their amity and encouragement throughout this study. I am especially grateful to Meltem and Selen who accompanied me on my trip to archeological sites and made this phase of the study so amusing. I also express my sincere gratitude to Ayhan for his moral support and understanding in the last and the hardest phase of the study. Last but not least I should express my dept to my colleagues and directors in my company. Their support and tolerance have made the completion of this thesis possible while working. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM……………………………………………………………………...iii ABSTRACT............................................................................................................ ..iv ÖZ. ............................................................................................................................. v DEDICATION...........................................................................................................vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................vii TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................viii LIST OF FIGURES.....................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 1 2. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN LATE ANTIQITY .......................................................................................... 4 2.1 The Changing Politics and the Disintegration of the Roman Empire... 4 2.2 The Shift in Wealth and Expenditure: Re-orientation of Public and Private Revenues............................................................................................ 9 2.3 The Social Context: The Rise of Christianity and the Changing Culture of Society...................................................................................................... 12 3. URBANISM IN LATE ANTIQUITY ........................................................... 14 3.1 The Reasons of Change in Late Antique Urbanism............................ 14 3.1.1 Administrative Changes and the Decline of Public Patronage .. 15 3.1.2 Military Reorganization: Emphasis on Frontiers and Fortifications ....................................................................................... 17 3.1.3 The Impact of Christianity on the Urban Monumental Topography ......................................................................................... 18 3.2 The Monumental Topography of Late Antique Cities........................ 22 3.2.1 Urbanism in Late Antique Asia Minor: Change, Transformation and Continuity..................................................................................... 24 3.2.1.1 Ephesus .......................................................................... 25 3.2.1.2 Aphrodisias .................................................................... 29 3.2.1.3 Sardis.............................................................................. 32 4. THE ‘ROMAN HOUSE’ AND ITS TRANSFORMATION IN LATE ANTIQUITY...................................................................................................... 37 viii 4. 1 The ‘Roman House’ Before Late Antiquity.................................... ...38 4.1.1 The Roman Familia and the Household .................................... 38 4.1.2 The Roman House: Its Spatial Layout and Use ......................... 41 4.2 Transformation of the Domestic Context in Late Antiquity ............... 47 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELABORATION OF THE ‘PUBLIC’ IN THE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF LATE ANTIQUE ANATOLIA: CHANGES AND TRANSFORMATIONS IN LATE ANTIQUE ANATOLIA51 5.1 Location and Size: Private Nodes within the Urban Fabric................ 54 5.2 Public Rituals and Spaces within the Private Context: Specialized Spaces and Their Use ................................................................................... 59 5.2.1 Colonnaded Courtyards.............................................................. 59 5.2.2 Reception Spaces: Dining and Audience Halls.......................... 63 5.2.2.1 Dining Halls ................................................................... 63 5.2.2.2 Audience Halls ............................................................... 67 5.2.3 Private Bath Suites ..................................................................... 72 5.3 Elaboration of Decoration ................................................................... 74 6. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 81 FIGURES ................................................................................................................. 88 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 120 APPENDIX GLOSSARY......................................................................................................132 ix LIST OF FIGURES1 FIGURES Figure 1 The Roman world in the 3rd century AD (www.acs.ucalgary.ca).............. 89 Figure 2 The Roman World in the late 4th century AD (Marcone, 1998: 18).......... 89 Figure 3 The Roman world in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. (Cameron, Perkins and Whitby, 2000: 16)......................................................... 90 Figure 4 Provincial Boundaries in Asia Minor in Late Antiquity (Mitchell, 1993 : 156)......................................................................................... 90 Figure 5 Constantinople, the city of Constantine (Cameron, Perkins and