Collana | Studi e ricerche
Miscellanea | In limine
Capitolo | Il pomerium e l’identità romana: un legame più forte del sangue

Il pomerium e l’identità romana: un legame più forte del sangue

Abstract

In the ancient world borders defined both the land and the people who lived within their boundaries, as well as the land and people who lived outside of these boundaries. The practice of defining the sacred boundary of a city was the most important element in the process of building a distinct cultural identity. As the legend tells, the first action of king Romulus was to mark a line delineating the territory of Rome. This sacred limit, the pomerium, determined the members of the Roman citizens’ community; later becoming a strong symbol of their bond of union. The main purpose of this article is to examine the sacred boundary of Rome from a socio-anthropological perspective, to understand its symbolic, religious importance to Roman identity: a significance so powerful it allowed Romulus to kill his own brother for crossing it.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Presentato: 21 Aprile 2017 | Accettato: 09 Maggio 2017 | Lingua: it

Keywords RomulusRemusPomeriumMemoryIdentity


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