This article examines a range of objects described in Roman antiquarian sources that functioned as carriers of memory and guarantors of identity. Some, like the pignora imperii, were regarded as divine pledges securing Rome’s imperium; others, such as Romulus’ lituus or the sow of Lavinium, served as material witnesses to foundational events. Although materially lost today, these objects acted as signs of continuity, shaping Roman collective memory and political power. Embedded in the urban fabric, they contributed to a sacred topography that anchored political authority in a mythical past.
University of Siena, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0002-3682-7427
EPHE, École Pratique des Hautes Études, France - ORCID: 0000-0002-1766-0545
Chapter Title
Res est romana. Oggetti di ‘potere’ e ‘reliquie’ di memoria a Roma
Authors
Ginevra Benedetti, Francesca Prescendi
Language
Italian
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0767-6.04
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
Piccole ‘curiosità’ delle religioni antiche. Un approccio antropologico
Book Subtitle
Atti delle giornate di studio - Siena, 4 e 5 aprile 2024
Editors
Ginevra Benedetti, Francesca Prescendi
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
124
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press, USiena Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0767-6
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0766-9
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0767-6
eISBN (epub)
979-12-215-0768-3
Series Title
Studi di Antichistica