The Agency of Landscapes in the Development of Cults in Republican Central Apennine Italy

Abstract

During the Republican period religious spaces of local communities located in
central Apennine Italy are often defined by their topography and environment, underlining
the importance of their topographical contextualization. Cults can be recognized
by spaces for open-air meetings with evidence of ritual practices, depositions and
sometimes altars, or by spaces in a specific natural setting, such as a cave. Between
the 4th and 1st centuries BC healing (sanatio) cults, often associated with water, and
cults connected with pastoralism are widespread. During the 2nd century BC some of
these cult sites underwent monumentalization, while others slowly lost importance.
This paper focuses on the agency of landscape in the establishment and development
of cult sites in the Central Apennine area from the Roman colonization to the Roman
Imperial period, with the latter covering an obvious cultural break. By focusing on an
area that is specifically defined in time and character, it is possible to focus on both
local characteristics and those shared with the rest of Republican Central Italy in a synchronic
and diachronic perspective. The interpretation of the temporospatial patterns
of these cult sites acknowledges not only cultural implications but also the significance
of their topographical distributions and territorial functions.

Keywords: Agency of Landscapes, Healing Cults, Roman Colonization, Central Apennine Italy