Mobility, reception, and social hierarchies in the late Roman West (fourth–sixth centuries CE)
Fauchon-Claudon, Claire
Mobility, reception, and social hierarchies in the late Roman West (fourth–sixth centuries CE) - 2021.
95
Through classical and late antiquity, various types of reception practices and places (private and public hospitality, reception by political or religious communities, commercial hospitality, and so on) thrived throughout the Roman world, in urban contexts as well as along roads. Did every traveler have access to all forms of accommodation, to the same degree and under the same conditions? During the classical era, social status determined whether one was hosted en route, although norms and habits were sometimes contradicted in practice. Elites were expected to behave according to strict rules that for instance forbade them to patronize inns; they were also supposed to develop wide networks of hospitality. This paper will address the way in which the social distribution of reception and accommodation practices evolved along Roman roads in late antiquity, especially when Christianity became the official religion of the Western Roman Empire, and hospitality began to be regarded as the universal duty of the good Christian. It shows that in terms of travel logistics, the evolution of mentalities, whether real or imagined, did not necessarily lead to profound changes in practices. Finally, we explore the case study of bishops’ travels between the fourth and sixth centuries, which exemplify the various tensions and paradoxes that arose in matters of reception and accommodation between the new demands of Christian morals and the traditional organization of Roman society.
Mobility, reception, and social hierarchies in the late Roman West (fourth–sixth centuries CE) - 2021.
95
Through classical and late antiquity, various types of reception practices and places (private and public hospitality, reception by political or religious communities, commercial hospitality, and so on) thrived throughout the Roman world, in urban contexts as well as along roads. Did every traveler have access to all forms of accommodation, to the same degree and under the same conditions? During the classical era, social status determined whether one was hosted en route, although norms and habits were sometimes contradicted in practice. Elites were expected to behave according to strict rules that for instance forbade them to patronize inns; they were also supposed to develop wide networks of hospitality. This paper will address the way in which the social distribution of reception and accommodation practices evolved along Roman roads in late antiquity, especially when Christianity became the official religion of the Western Roman Empire, and hospitality began to be regarded as the universal duty of the good Christian. It shows that in terms of travel logistics, the evolution of mentalities, whether real or imagined, did not necessarily lead to profound changes in practices. Finally, we explore the case study of bishops’ travels between the fourth and sixth centuries, which exemplify the various tensions and paradoxes that arose in matters of reception and accommodation between the new demands of Christian morals and the traditional organization of Roman society.
Réseaux sociaux