Fortresses of the Tur Abdin and the confrontation between Rome and Persia

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 181-229
Author(s):  
Anthony Comfort
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Seventh Century ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Substantial Risk ◽  
Urgent Necessity ◽  
Late Roman

AbstractAlthough research is currently impossible on the ground, satellite photographs allow some further information to be gleaned concerning the region of the Tur Abdin, of crucial importance during the wars between the late Roman Empire and Sassanian Persia in the fourth to seventh century AD. This article examines the ancient sources and the reports of visitors to the area in the light of what is now visible to all via Google Earth and other suppliers of free satellite imagery. Apart from describing the remains of the fortresses and their role in defending an important redoubt against Persian attacks, it draws attention to the urgent necessity for proper ground surveys of what remains of the fortifications of various periods before these are completely destroyed by looting and reuse of building materials. Dams also present a substantial risk to some of the monuments discussed here.

The solidus hoard of Casa delle Vestali in context

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 107-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svante Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Roman Emperor ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Gold Coins ◽  
Late Roman

In this paper, I discuss the context of a Late Roman solidus hoard found in the Casa delle Vestali on the Forum Romanum in Rome. The hoard consists of 397 solidi, Late Roman gold coins. Most of the hoard consists of uncirculated solidi struck in the name of the Western Roman emperor Procopius Anthemius (AD 467–472). By means of situating the hoard within the context of the reign of Anthemius and the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the aim of this paper is to determine if the coins in the Vestal hoard can be related to other contemporary coin hoards by means of numismatic typology; this information could add to our understanding of why Anthemius’ reign is considered such an unmitigated failure and why the Empire collapsed soon after his murder. In this article, the composition of the hoard is examined, and the contents are compared to other contemporary solidus hoards in the Mediterranean, Gaul, Poland and Scandinavia. I argue that this comparison shows that the Vestal hoard is not part of a larger network but that the hoard constitutes the remains of an isolated occurrence—as initially suggested by its unusual composition and location.

Secular Monograms, Social Status, and Authority in the Late Roman World and Early Byzantium

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ildar Garipzanov
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Seventh Century ◽  
Sixth Century ◽  
Late Antique ◽  
Imperial Authority ◽  
Christian Culture ◽  
Noble Identity ◽  
Late Roman

This chapter examines the use of monograms as graphic signs of imperial authority in the late Roman and early Byzantine empire, from its appropriation on imperial coinage in the mid-fifth century to its employment in other material media in the following centuries. It also overviews the use of monograms by imperial officials and aristocrats as visible signs of social power and noble identity on mass-produced objects, dress accessories, and luxury items. The concluding section discusses a new social function for late antique monograms as visible tokens of a new Christian paideia and of elevated social status, related to ennobling calligraphic skills. This transformation of monograms into an attribute of visual Christian culture became especially apparent in sixth-century Byzantium, with the cruciform monograms appearing in the second quarter of the sixth century and becoming a default monogrammatic form from the seventh century onwards.

Christograms as Signs of Authority in the Late Roman Empire

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ildar Garipzanov
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Rhetorical Device ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Courtly Culture ◽  
Diachronic Change ◽  
Late Roman

The first section tests the main interpretations of Lactantius’ passage on Constantine’s victorious sign in 312 against existing graphic evidence from the 310s and early 320s, and consequently supports the interpretation of Lactantius’ description as a rhetorical device invented or modified by the Christian narrator. The next two sections support the argument that the perception of the chi-rho as Constantine’s triumphant sign became entrenched in courtly culture and public mentalities from the mid-320s onwards, and trace the diachronic change of the chi-rho from its paramount importance as an imperial sign of authority under the Constantinian dynasty to its hierarchic usage alongside the tau-rho and cross in the Theodosian period. The final section presents a contextualized discussion of the encolpion of Empress Maria and mosaics from several early baptisteries, illustrating the paradigmatic importance the chi-rho and tau-rho for early Christian graphicacy around the turn of the fifth century.

Letters and Communication Networks in Merovingian Gaul

2020 ◽  
pp. 530-555
Author(s):  
Andrew Gillett
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Complete List ◽  
Narrative Texts ◽  
Manuscript Tradition ◽  
Letter Exchange ◽  
Late Roman

While some letters from Merovingian-era Gaul are well known—for example, Remigius’s letters to Clovis or Radegund’s letters founding her monastery—the scale and scope of extant and attested letters tell us more about the period than the sum of data from individual documents. The cumulative range of known epistolary communications indicates that Merovingian Gaul, like the late Roman Empire of the previous centuries, hosted multiple, entangled networks of social and political interconnections. This chapter considers how we can set about contemplating both the limitations and value of the evidence we have. Comparison with contemporary Egypt, from which letters are preserved both in manuscript tradition (as with Gaul) and as papyri originals, evokes the possibility of envisaging Merovingian Gaul quite differently from our received image. The extant evidence for letters is surveyed, including “literary” collections of letters, letters preserved in other types of texts, and the extensive number of descriptions of letter exchange in narrative texts. The chapter includes the first checklist of more than 500 extant letters and a list of narrative sources, including the first complete list of references to letters in the works of Gregory of Tours.

Unique Osteoid Osteoma of the Frontal Sinus From the Late Roman Empire

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 965-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Varotto ◽  
Maria Teresa Magro ◽  
Rodolfo Brancato ◽  
Carmine Lubritto ◽  
Lorenzo Memeo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Osteoid Osteoma ◽  
Frontal Sinus ◽  
Late Roman

scholarly journals LARGE SCALE CITY MAPPING USING SATELLITE IMAGERY / KOSMINIŲ NUOTRAUKŲ IŠ GOOGLE EARTH, TAIKOMŲ MIESTAMS KARTOGRAFUOTI STAMBIUOJU MASTELIU, REKTIFIKAVIMAS / РЕКТИФИКАЦИЯ КОСМИЧЕСКИХ СНИМКОВ ИЗ GOOGLE EARTH ДЛЯ КРУПНОМАСШТАБНОГО КАРТОГРАФИРОВАНИЯ ГОРОДОВ

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 168-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birutė Ruzgienė ◽  
Qian Yi Xiang ◽  
Silvija Gečytė
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Aerial Images ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Image Rectification ◽  
Image Deformation ◽  
Map Construction ◽  
Short Period

The rectification of high resolution digital aerial images or satellite imagery employed for large scale city mapping is modern technology that needs well distributed and accurately defined control points. Digital satellite imagery, obtained using widely known software Google Earth, can be applied for accurate city map construction. The method of five control points is suggested for imagery rectification introducing the algorithm offered by Prof. Ruan Wei (tong ji University, Shanghai). Image rectification software created on the basis of the above suggested algorithm can correct image deformation with required accuracy, is reliable and keeps advantages in flexibility. Experimental research on testing the applied technology has been executed using GeoEye imagery with Google Earth builder over the city of Vilnius. Orthophoto maps at the scales of 1:1000 and 1:500 are generated referring to the methodology of five control points. Reference data and rectification results are checked comparing with those received from processing digital aerial images using a digital photogrammetry approach. The image rectification process applying the investigated method takes a short period of time (about 4-5 minutes) and uses only five control points. The accuracy of the created models satisfies requirements for large scale mapping. Santrauka Didelės skiriamosios gebos skaitmeninių nuotraukų ir kosminių nuotraukų rektifikavimas miestams kartografuoti stambiuoju masteliu yra nauja technologija. Tai atliekant būtini tikslūs ir aiškiai matomi kontroliniai taškai. Skaitmeninės kosminės nuotraukos, gautos taikant plačiai žinomą programinį paketą Google Earth, gali būti naudojamos miestams kartografuoti dideliu tikslumu. Siūloma nuotraukas rektifikuoti Penkių kontrolinių taskų metodu pagal prof. Ruan Wei (Tong Ji universitetas, Šanchajus) algoritmą. Moksliniam eksperimentui pasirinkta Vilniaus GeoEye nuotrauka iš Google Earth. 1:1000 ir 1:500 mastelio ortofotografiniai žemėlapiai sudaromi Penkių kontrolinių taškų metodu. Rektifikavimo duomenys lyginami su skaitmeninių nuotraukų apdorojimo rezultatais, gautais skaitmeninės fotogrametrijos metodu. Nuotraukų rektifikavimas Penkių kontrolinių taskų metodu atitinka kartografavimo stambiuoju masteliu reikalavimus, sumažėja laiko sąnaudos. Резюме Ректификация цифровых и космических снимков высокой резолюции для крупномасштабного картографирования является новой технологией, требующей точных и четких контрольных точек. Цифровые космические снимки, полученные с использованием широкоизвестного программного пакета Google Earth, могут применяться для точного картографирования городов. Для ректификации снимков предложен метод пяти контрольных точек с применением алгоритма проф. Ruan Wei (Университет Tong Ji, Шанхай). Для научного эксперимента использован снимок города Вильнюса GeoEye из Google Earth. Ортофотографические карты в масштабе 1:1000 и 1:500 генерируются с применением метода пяти контрольных точек. Полученные результаты и данные ректификации сравниваются с результатами цифровых снимков, полученных с применением метода цифровой фотограмметрии. Ректификация снимков с применением метода пяти контрольных точек уменьшает временные расходы и удовлетворяет требования, предъявляемые к крупномасштабному картографированию.

scholarly journals Characterizing the Spatial and Temporal Availability of Very High Resolution Satellite Imagery in Google Earth and Microsoft Bing Maps as a Source of Reference Data

Land ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myroslava Lesiv ◽  
Linda See ◽  
Juan Laso Bayas ◽  
Tobias Sturn ◽  
Dmitry Schepaschenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Reference Data ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Visual Interpretation ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Very High

Very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery from Google Earth and Microsoft Bing Maps is increasingly being used in a variety of applications from computer sciences to arts and humanities. In the field of remote sensing, one use of this imagery is to create reference data sets through visual interpretation, e.g., to complement existing training data or to aid in the validation of land-cover products. Through new applications such as Collect Earth, this imagery is also being used for monitoring purposes in the form of statistical surveys obtained through visual interpretation. However, little is known about where VHR satellite imagery exists globally or the dates of the imagery. Here we present a global overview of the spatial and temporal distribution of VHR satellite imagery in Google Earth and Microsoft Bing Maps. The results show an uneven availability globally, with biases in certain areas such as the USA, Europe and India, and with clear discontinuities at political borders. We also show that the availability of VHR imagery is currently not adequate for monitoring protected areas and deforestation, but is better suited for monitoring changes in cropland or urban areas using visual interpretation.

scholarly journals Aspects of seashore protection in the Late Roman empire

2019 ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
Adam Świętoń
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Late Roman

The article contains brief considerations on the legal aspects of coastal protection in the period of the late Roman empire. The Roman authorities of the transmarine provinces were likely to face problems such as the smuggling of illegal goods or unwelcomed persons. The question is who was in fact responsible for the prevention of and fight against unlawful activities. There are only few constitutions which indirectly refer to this problem. The laws indicate that the responsibility burdened various types of officials. only one of them – custos litorum – seems to be strictly connected to the marine duties. The origins and com- petences of custodes litorum are however unclear and should be subject to further research.

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