The Roman architecture of the Republic and Empire periods displayed impressive urban planning and engineering. Rome's expansion into new territories involved a network of settlements where geographical factors strongly influenced town layouts. In this master’s degree paper we examine specific settlements from the late Republican era, highlighting the dynamics of colonization at the edges of the Roman state. Some Italic towns gained status of municipium or colonia, reinforcing Roman control and influence over the area. Other settlements gained significance by maintaining important trade influence or indigenous ties to Rome. Comparing these cases offers insights into urban life of the Italic towns in the 1st century BCE.
|
