Publisher's Synopsis
This volume analyses Claudius' activities in the provinces of the western Empire in order to get an idea of his political attitude in a broader context and see how his interests in the provinces influenced the urban works. The first aim of the project was to find structures, urban development and changes in the cities which were directly connected to Claudius; the second was to reflect on planning issues and strategies adopted by the emperor. A comprehensive examination of new buildings, or additions to prior ones (with statues, for example), was conducted in order to understand the underlying intentions, as well as how, and in which way, the prototypes in Italy influenced construction in the provinces. The final aim was connected to Venturi's work, who deals with Claudius' activities in Italy and in particular at Rome and Ravenna. The question was whether the trends found by Venturi can also be applied to the provinces. As a result of these investigations, the author has been able to propose new trends which might explain the emperor's political actions.
