The Amphitheater of Pergamon: Cultural Identity and Urban Physiognomy

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2024-7-19
Baykara, Ayşe Bike
The amphitheater was the quintessential Roman building. At Rome, the Flavian amphitheater stood as a singularly impressive Roman monument and both a signifier and a modifier of Roman imperialism and ideology. In the provinces, especially in the west, the amphitheater was essential to a Roman town. In the Eastern provinces, however, they were few, and one of the only four in Asia Minor was located in Pergamon, a city with a deep and lasting Hellenistic identity. Why here, then? Why Pergamon? This study aims to examine the Pergamene amphitheater while exploring the relationship between Rome and Pergamon, the variety of cultural influences in between, and how these influences impacted Pergamon, especially the Pergamene amphitheater. By considering multiple sides of cultural exchange and the amphitheater as focal points of identity building, this study will question what it means to be Roman.
Citation Formats
A. B. Baykara, “The Amphitheater of Pergamon: Cultural Identity and Urban Physiognomy,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2024.