Gerasa et Volubilis, filles de Rome - Documentaire histoire -AMP

URBAN. This word characterizes only the Roman civilization. Rome built its empire in the stone, and over thousands of kilometers, from Britain to Iran, and from Germany to Morocco. So it is not by chance that of all the ancient civilizations, it is the one that has the most marked the landscape of the Mediterranean. Forced by the demands of their conquest to found many cities, the Romans developed a rational urbanistic policy on the entire extent of their empire. For this, they were strongly inspired by the Hellenistic Greeks, who, apart from Africa, had preceded them on the whole of their territory. But the Romans also brought their own genius to the solution of problems imposed by new living conditions. The nature of the soil, the possibilities of water supply, the ways of communication, the pre-existing buildings, everything came into play. Colonies, municipalities, free cities or tributaries, each of the cities fertilized by Rome had a particular structure, more or less strongly marked by the indigenous influence. Among the daughters of Rome, Volubilis in North Africa and Gerasa in the Middle East are both the reflection of a concerted Romanization. Amman, the current Jordanian capital, still bears the mark of the time when it belonged to the Roman Empire of the East. Its theater, which could accommodate up to 6,000 spectators, testifies to the importance of the ancient city. It was then called Philadelphia. Leaving Amman, we head north, towards Jerash, the modern name of Gerasa. The two cities were part of the Decapol. This name once designated the territory which, on the west bank of the Jordan, extends from the south of Syria to the north of present-day Jordan. This area is certainly one of the most fertile in the Middle East. In the 3rd century BC, the successors of Alexander the Great founded a dozen urban centers there. Modest in their size, but rich in their soil and an intense cultural life, they soon aroused the interest of their neighbors, the Nabataeans and the Asmoneans, who, on the eve of the fall of the Hellenistic Empire, disputed them bitterly. These struggles for influence were interrupted in the 1st century BC by the invasion of the Romans. Once integrated into their empire, the cities of the Decapol formed an autonomous confederation. From then on, this Greek cultural cave, in the middle of its myths, took its course and left its solemn monument. Soon, the road led through the green hills of the biblical country of Galahad. Then came the inner courtyard of the Zarka, one of the affluents of the Jordan. On these shores, its tents still delivered, shepherds and fields cultivated. One last turn, and here is the modern city of Jerash, partly based on the remains of the old Gerasa, the most lavish of the Decapol. Chased away in the silence of the golden hills of the country of Galahad, the city stands on the two shores of the Oued Jerash, today Tari, but whose ancient name Chrysoros, the northern river, translates the role that this watercourse played in the development of the site. This site, inhabited since the 9th millennium BC, houses a set of small mobile villages, which multiply and settle progressively from the 8th century BC with the development of agriculture. After a period of abandonment, this small village saw the birth of a first city, founded by the Greeks, between the 3rd and the 2nd century BC. The place, previously called Garchou, then took the name of Antioch on the Chrysoros. Under Roman domination, Antioch became Gerasa. The city was put up for construction and reached its maximum growth in the 2nd century AD. In the 3rd century, when it was elevated to the rank of colony, the city began to decline, paced by invasions and successive reoccupations. Finally, the earthquake of the 8th century brought the fatal blow to the city, which was only rediscovered in the 19th century. Thus, Gerasa now simultaneously shows several eras. What was its configuration during its peak in the 2nd century AD? The urban area then occupies an area of about 95 hectares. A large colonnaded street crosses the city from north to south and leads to the Sanctuary of Zeus Olympian, the Jupiter of the Romans. A majestic oval square follows the junction between the diverging axes of the Sanctuary of Zeus and the large colonnaded street. Two roads, east-west, cross the main axis at right angles. Between the two intersections stands perpendicular to the major artery the Sanctuary of Artemis, the Diana of the Romans. The rest of the city is organized according to a grid plan and includes, in addition to the residential areas, farms, an odeon, a market, a theater and a hippodrome. As for the necropolises, they are located on the outskirts of the city. For the ancient traveler who came from Philadelphia, the current Amman, the road passed under a large arch erected in honor of Emperor Hadrian. The road then extended to the hippodrome of which there is no longer a trace today. Further on, a reduced and contemporary replica of the first arch constituted the true southern axis of Gerasa. Once across the threshold of the south gate, the gaze immediately rose to an artificial terrace dominated by the high temple of Zeus. Attached to the sanctuary, the theater deployed its steps in view of the city. The traveler then crossed the majestic oval square open on the main avenue. From there, he joined the commercial districts. On the ground, we can still guess the trace left by the wheels of the carts. Located along the colonnade, many shops and the large meat market retained the challenge. Further on, the pilgrim could refresh himself in the water of the Nymph and a monumental fountain. Right next door opened the sacred domain of the goddess Artemis. If he extended his journey to the north, he arrived at the gates of the Odeon, both the seat of the local council and a place of spectacle. Two thousand years later, Gerasa was still proud. Above all, it provided the visitors of today with a beautiful example of these innumerable cities of the East founded by the Greeks and on which the Roman power relied. Installed on the very site of Gerasa, the French Institute of the Near East leads, in cooperation with the Jordanian Antiquities, important excavations and restorations. The great discoveries on the site itself, you have seen it, the site presents all these great monuments which were still known despite the great abandonment of the 6th or 7th century, but this is what was cleared up. Archaeology, to put it bluntly, has not yet cleared up a lot of things. However, recent excavations have revealed important remains, not only of great beauty, but also rich in information. Archaeologists have indeed wondered about the origin of the orthogonal plan of Gerasa and the degree of penetration of Greek culture in the eastern city. The answer is partly in this obscure stone chaos. These ruins are those of several buildings of different eras built on a sanctuary cave. The excavation of this cave and the partial dismantling of the remains have allowed us to discover several hundred blocks belonging to a previous monument. Gabrielle exceptionally opens the doors of this improvised sanctuary. Her memory of this disorganized set is moving. No molding, no pattern or color has a secret for her. This is a bovine that is scratching in the gravel. Always our floral decor depends on it. How did the discovery of this huge stone puzzle renew the interpretation of the city? The domain of Zeus is the result of a long evolution, started from the time of Greek colonization. But its development conditioned that of the city. Let's go back to the beginning. Arriving in Gerasa, the first Greek settlers settled on this site. At the location of the old abandoned village. However, it is not in the center of this renaissance town that they chose to build the residence of Zeus, but on the high place opposite it, more suitable for cults according to the oriental tradition. After leveling the ground to the rock according to a rite of purification, the faithful of Zeus built above a natural cave a first temple, open to the south. By its rectangular plan and its decoration of pomegranate pampers, of gravel, and hibiscus flowers, this saint of the saints is typically oriental. In the first century of our era, the Romans undertook gigantic works under the leadership of a certain Diodorus. The architect first built a terrace accessible by the south. Later, he enlarged the terrace, furnished in the basements an underground gallery, the cryptoportico, and built to the east a monumental entrance which becomes the main access to the city. In 66 of our era, during the first revolt of the Jews, hostile to Zeus, the Greek temple is carefully dismantled. In 70, while the political and religious situation has calmed down, a certain Theon, pleading to Zeus, finances a new saint of the saints, built with part of the blocks of the first temple. The culminating and ultimate point of this development is the construction of a new church in the center of the city. The church is built The culminating and ultimate point of this development is the building in 163 on a higher terrace of a large portico temple. Thus, the whole of the sanctuary presents a typically oriental architecture and not Greco-Roman. Likewise, the main avenue in Kolona does not seem to be, to put it simply, a street, but rather a processional avenue at the same time as a commercial road. The work undertaken by the scientists on the sanctuary of Zeus does not stop there. The Jordanian government has insisted, as it has insisted on many other archaeological missions, that archaeology should be done in parallel with the restoration of monuments. This is an extremely important aspect of our work, of our responsibilities. It is the valorization, the highlighting of monuments that have been exhumed or that are being discovered. But the process is complex. First of all, it is necessary to identify all the blocks. The aim was above all to clear all the edges of the temple of its rubble. So, we pursued the method that had already been applied a few years before, that is to say, clearing the blocks, drawing, in the 50th century, what we call the minutes of terrain, all the blocks in three dimensions to allow computer restitution that greatly facilitates the restitution for this current restoration phase. These prerequisites being accomplished, the restoration work itself can begin. It's not that simple. We will see how, despite the experience of a well-trained team, the reassembly of the blocks can be complex, even dangerous. We will see how, despite the experience of a well-trained team, the reassembly of the blocks can be complex, even dangerous. First of all, the stone must be cut according to a very precise profile drawn by the architect, according to the cuttings obtained in the laboratory. Once... These are the next two... The next two, for the west, like that, we will be able to block the west side. Yes, and then... We will just need a piece for the north when we have finished laying the angle. The second step is to equip the block with a system of attachments allowing its lifting to its place of rest. In the same way as in Antiquity, men are called to decide the most appropriate technical solutions for lifting, ankles, inverted pliers or mortars. Here, the team opts for an ankle device. This device can be used to attach the block to the wall or to the wall of the building. This device can be used to attach the blocks to the wall using a pair of keys. Do you have enough points to lift the block? No... We could have used some more. It's more of a safety measure. Finally, we can use the crane and the delicate operation of placing the blocks in place. When the crane gets up to reach the bases, the rope is pulled. A second time to place the block under the debris and a third to place A second, more secure attempt will allow the final stop of the block. Thus, day after day, the domain of the Lord of Olympus gradually regains its initial appearance. Medzus was not the absolute master of Gerasa. Artemis, assimilated to an ancestral local deity, was honored as mistress of the city. Accessible from the Mount of Chrysoros, her sanctuary is a real architectural staging. After following a colonnade and crossing the main avenue, you still have to cross an imposing gate, then climb a monumental staircase, leading to the sky. This ingenious device, by arousing surprise, undeniably highlights the temple of the goddess. The domain of Artemis is amazing in more than one way. First of all, it is unfinished and has no old facility. Then, it is the largest and most central of the city. However, it is not to him that leads the main avenue, but to the sanctuary of Medzus. Above all, the presence of two federal sanctuaries in the same city constitutes an anomaly for archaeologists. This is a unique case in the region. The explanation comes partly from inscriptions found in the lower temple of Medzus. Indeed, the sanctuary of the goddess, primitively installed here on the terrace of the ancient village of Gershou, would have been moved to allow its extension. This movement took place around 132-135 during the First Jewish Revolt, during which the Israeli community of Gerasa, hostile to the Greek gods, reported its donations to the temple of the former sea goddess of the city. About thirty years later, it was the turn of the temple of Artemis to be abandoned by its faithful, due to lack of financial means. These events provoked a complete reconstruction of the urban framework. The two perpendicular avenues, at the origin of the Cardo and the Roman Decumanus, were traced according to the main entrance of the two temples, according to a well-known practice in the East. Thus, the orthogonal plan of the city is not, as it has long been believed, a legacy of the Greek settlers, but rather a late design, superimposed from the middle of the 2nd century on a pre-existing urban-oriental model. On the other hand, it reveals the importance of religion in the organization of the city framework. The cult is also the mirror of the economic and political health of the city. The temples, in fact, were financed by the inhabitants, who, following the need of the moment and the financial availability of their religious groups, sought the divinity most suitable to meet their expectations. On the steps of the Odeon, which was also used as a council room, archaeologists found large inscriptions engraved in stone. These inscriptions mention the names of eleven religious tribes. Those of Zeus and Artemis were the most important, with those of the imperial cult. The others were devoted to secondary deities. Other inscriptions on the site also teach us that the Gerasenian population was made up of a large majority of Greeks, Syrians, Israelites, soldiers and Roman officials. What did this multicultural society live on? It is a large city that is described as flourishing, imperial, but we must never forget that it is one of the most eastern cities of the Roman Empire, far from everything, and provincial, and outside the main axis. We have the Via Nova, which is about thirty kilometers away. It is very close to us, but not very close to these people. I think that one of the aspects that must be taken into consideration is that the city of Geras is a place where the Roman emperors liberated, the term is liberated, the veterans. When a Roman soldier arrives, who is a professional soldier of course, at the end of his time, he is given lands, which are often important lands, which he himself exploits by slaves, by local people, and he becomes a citizen. We know that there were many veterans settled in Geras. So it is a city of population, it is not necessarily a large commercial center, except regional, of course, except local, but it is not a road where spices are transported, where rare products are transported between the Red Sea and Syria. A few thousand kilometers away, on the African shores of the Mediterranean, are the remains of another Romanized city in the first century of our era. Founded by the Berbers, redeveloped under the domination of Rome, ancient Volubilis also managed to preserve its identity. Rabat, the capital of Morocco, is the second step of our journey. Time to cross the city, and here we are in Salé, where four students from the Higher School of Technology are waiting for us. Their goal? To give life and form to the remains of ancient Volubilis. More precisely, Gian and Younes are dedicated to the restoration of the monumental center, while Kamel and Mohammed are committed to the reconstruction of the noble houses of the city. While they make the final touches, let's head east, towards Volubilis. A few hundred kilometers further, as the plain of the Garb opens, we distinguish the first slopes of the massif of Zeroun. Volubilis is not very far away. Hanging on a rocky cliff, the holy Muslim city of Mouleh Idris, named after the founder of Morocco, dominates the ancient city. Located at an altitude of 390 meters at the foot of Mount Zeroun, Volubilis was an easy position to defend. Above all, the region had all the conditions necessary for the installation of man. First of all, an abundance of water provided by the frequent rains and the presence of two sources. Then, a land and climate conducive to farming, agriculture and olive growing. Finally, the presence near quarries of fat and limestone provided the essential materials for the construction of an urban center. Volubilis also enjoyed a strategic position, at the crossroads of northern Morocco, provided with fertile plains, and the valley of the Cebu, open to the Atlantic. Thus, from its foundation by the Berbers, this village benefited from all the assets to feed and shelter an important population. In the 3rd century BC, it entered the era of influence of the great Mediterranean civilizations. Volubilis was then an organized city, with institutions under the Carthaginian influence, which spread from the coast. Towards the 2nd century BC, it was part of the Mauritanian kingdom, which was formed in North Africa. At the turn of the Christian era, the city became one of the residences of its king Juba II, an ally of Rome, then that of his son Ptolemy. In 40 BC, the balance that had prevailed for a century in this region was abruptly broken, while Caligula reigned over the Roman Empire. What happened? Ptolemy was invited by Caligula to attend an official ceremony in Lyon, France. As soon as he arrived there, Caligula gave him the order to kill him outright, to put an end to this kingdom, and to prepare a direct annexation of Mauritania, which would then be, under the reign of Claude, divided into two provinces, Tangitian Mauritania to the west, and Caesarian Mauritania to the east. This assassination, no doubt, triggered a revolt in a part of the Volubilites. Led by Ademon, a slave who had crossed Ptolemy, she mobilized three Roman legions, as well as a self-defense militia commanded by a notable local, Marcus Valerius Severus, a partisan of Rome. The revolt was being watched, and the militiamen rushed their leader to the new emperor, Claude, in order to obtain rewards for their military aid and their loyalty. This inscription reveals that this process was successful for him. The city was elevated to the rank of municipality, while its inhabitants benefited from many advantages, intended to ensure their loyalty. Rome's goal? To make Mauritania Tangitian, a march of the empire, more than a province to exploit. Indeed, Volubilis was the most advanced element of the defense system, against the Berber semi-nomadic tribes of the pre-Saharan regions. Thus, for two centuries, the city experienced a new outbreak, and was transformed under the effects of Romanization. If its development seems mainly linked to the presence of new masters, the transition does not seem to have been brutal. Contrary to the Roman city created by a single gesture on virgin land, like Timgad in Algeria, Volubilis presents an irregular plan. Only the northern district, probably unoccupied during the Roman annexation, shows the traditional grid plan. On both sides of the main street, secondary streets are connected by transversal alleys. This road was originally lined with shops and porticoes, which protected pedestrians from the sun and rain. It was once the busiest street in the city, inhabited by a noisy and bigoted crowd, similar to those who walk today in the medias of Meknes, Fez, Marrakech. Spices, flyers, fishmongers, booksellers or merchants of fine stocks called the passer-by, while walking musicians, carriers, commissioners, convoyers of mules and disembarkers, created a few traffic jams. The main artery connected the northern gate of Tangier to the arch of Caracalla, built by the community of Volubilis in recognition of a tax exemption granted by Rome. This type of building was built in honor of a victorious general. Monument of imperial propaganda, visible from afar, it was imposed on the eyes of the conquered populations as a manifestation of the omnipotence of Rome and its emperor. Here again, contrary to the norms of Roman urbanism, this arch is not located in the axis of the main road of the city. The indigenous influence is also notable in the setting. Thus, the representation of the seasons in the medallions, borrowed from the mosaics, is unusual. The Roman mark can be seen more in the establishment of new public institutions, a way for the imperial power to ensure the devoutness of large local families, which could thus satisfy their political, economic and social ambitions. The Sacred Era of the Capitol, where the official cult took place, was the first of the religious institutions. Another predominant Roman institution was the Forum. Political heart of the city, this is where the assembly of citizens met during elections, proclamations and speeches. This place is bordered by the Judicial Basilica, where public and administrative affairs of the city were managed. Under the authority of a college of magistrates, two edils took care of the police, public works and markets, while the decurions constituted the municipal senate. The latter deliberated on religious life and finances, decided on the construction of monuments and the erection on the Forum of Statues in honour of deserving citizens. One of the major functions of the Forum, or of the Greek Agora, is, if you will, propaganda. These numerous steles, formerly surmounted by statues, are proof of this. They attest to this desire to display to the inhabitants and tourists of the time the value of such or such volubilist citizen, a high dignitary, a cadre of the army, or even a rich exploiter. Remember this volubilist who had liberated the city from the resistance opposed to Rome, Marcus Valerius Severius. His stele is here on the Forum. There is an M that means Marcus Valerius Bostaris Filius. So it's the son of a Bostar, so surely it's a Punic name. Just below are indicated the functions of the honoured man. Municipal magistrate under the Carthaginian power, Marcus Valerius was given new positions by the Romans, those of senator and priest. But that's not all. The inscription also mentions the privileges granted by Rome to the volubilists thanks to the intervention of Marcus Valerius, notably Roman citizenship and an exoneration of taxes for 10 years for non-citizens. These measures were intended to promote the implementation of farmers and negotiators and thus repopulate the region after the events of 1940. The last benefit received concerns the goods left by the citizens who experienced death during the revolt and who did not leave any inheritance. So these goods of these citizens will be granted to the municipality of Voulubis and not to the Roman tax. Thus, the epigraphy remains the almost exclusive source of information on the municipal life and society. However, archaeology is not left out. It also provides numerous clues allowing to restore the frames and modes of private life of a part of the population. The noble residence, where the ambition of the elites was expressed, is notably one of the most visible elements today of the Romanisation process. It is above all a desire to live like the Romans, which transpires in the organisation of the volubilist habitat. One of the most beautiful houses preserved of Volubilis is the Maison d'Orphée, located in the southern district of the city. Hassan Liman, archaeologist and former curator of the site, led the reconstruction work of this residence, carried out by the students of the Technological School of Rabat-Salé. The Maison d'Orphée is located at an area of 1,700 m2. It extends over the three plots of an islet and consists of three distinct areas. A private area reserved for the family, an area accessible to the clientele of the owner and an industrial area. The access to the house or private part is made by two doors. One leads directly to the farms and the other leads directly to the private areas. Here we have access to the kitchen, which is characterized by the presence of this basin as a water reservoir. Just next to it we have the latrines. There is just a little bit of evacuation left, but normally we would find the latrine seat here. Then we have access to this corridor, which houses a number of rooms and opens onto the peristyle. One of the most interesting rooms is this one, which is a triclinium. A Roman triclinium is characterized by the three entrances. The main entrance is for the guests, and the other two entrances are for the service. Around this U-shape we can place the beds and we have the central panel in the shape of a carpet, decorated with dauphinium. This is where the master of the house would have his meals with his family and a few close friends. Nearby was a room whose walls were originally covered with marble. Given the area of the house, which is 1,700 m2, we have three open-air classrooms, which would light up the entire house and ventilate it. Inside this open-air classroom, we have a well which would supply the house with water. The Dorphée house was also connected to the urban network in order to provide sufficient quantities and to constantly supply the fountains it housed. We can continue our walk through this corridor to discover the different rooms which are mostly covered with geometric mosaics, like the ones we see in these two rooms. One of the particularities of this house is that we have a heated room for the winter. We can see this sewage system which would allow the evacuation of the smoke. This room was reserved for the winter, to be used during the winter. We are right next to the beginning of the Riff chain and the beginning of the Moine-et-Las, so this is an area where it is a little cold in the winter. Sometimes it even reaches minus 2 or minus 3 degrees. This heating system was also used to heat the water and the ground of the private parts. This is one of the establishments where the hypocaust is well preserved. The hypocaust is this space where the circulation of the air allowed to heat the walls thanks to these rectangular canals. We have two types of canals, rectangular canals and circular canals towards the bottom. On these pillars there were large plates which were refractory and on which the Romans could walk. So there was someone who took care of the heating system, of the hot water and of feeding the two wooden houses to ensure the heat in a continuous way to this establishment. Let us now go to the space where the owner received his clientele This space, directly accessible from the street, consists of a reception room and an open-air courtyard, decorated with a basin. This basin, which is in fact an aquarium, is bordered by a mosaic representing the god Neptune on his chariot, hovering over the sea world. This is also a summer room. With this courtyard, you could put a plate and a glass of wine to enjoy the freshness of the night. This courtyard opened onto a large room reserved for the clientele of the owner. And the most interesting thing is that we have notches when you can see them, which suggests that these spaces were glazed and this is what allowed the clientele, the guests, to always have a view of the triumvirate and of what could happen from the main entrance. This chamber is decorated with one of the most interesting and largest circular mosaics of Volubilis. Today, hidden under a veil of dust, it hides its secret. Here is Orpheus, playing the lyre and charming in this way the wild animals around him. Thus, this vast villa contained several rooms and reception rooms covered with marble and mosaic, private rooms and heated rooms in ivy, all decorated with fountains and basins, which would undoubtedly have required to put money in place. We remember that the industrial part is located in a third level, and we will see that thanks to this third part we can identify the owner, we can identify what he did in life. This part is in the double oilery of this house, and we have large decantation basins, which suggests that they produced a lot of olive oil. The location of this oilery in the house suggests that the owner was a great producer of olive oil. A mirror of the greatness of Rome, Volubilis was also a reflection of the economic, social and cultural success of the Roman Empire. Thus, the Roman urbanization of the pre-existing provincial cities in the empire was not absolute. If the goal was to imitate the great Rome, the art and techniques of the capital never suffocated the local processes. On the contrary, they were so intelligently understood and assimilated by the conquered peoples