Sylabus
1. Introduction. Geography, natural environment. Ancient Sources on the Decapolis. The definition of Decapolis and Historical Geography. History of research.
2. History of the southern Levant from the Hellenistic to the Late Roman period
3. The Hellenistic foundations: archaeology of the 3rd/2nd c. BCE
4. The Early Roman revival
5. Archaeology of the Roman period I: Urbanism, fortifications, public spaces
6. Archaeology of the Roman period II: Cults, temples
7. Archaeology of the Roman period III: Public entertainment (theatres, odeia, hippodromes)
8. Archaeology of the Roman period IV: Water management (aqueducts and baths)
9. Hinterlands, rural settlement and economy
10. On the way to the Christian Late Antiquity - the 3rd/4th c. CE transformation
Anotace
The course is focusing on history and archaeology of a group of Hellenistic foundations located in a compact region of the southern Levant encompassing parts of modern-day Israel, Jordan and Syria, and which is usually called Dekapolis (i.e. ten cities). The course will trace their origins from the period of Alexander’s conquest of Syria in 332 BCE, through the period of Ptolemaic and Seleucid domination and struggle over the Levant, their fate during the time of Maccabean Revolt and Hasmonaean kingdom, and finally revival and development under Pax
Romana until the beginning of transformation brought about with emergence of Christianity in the 4th c. CE.
The main focus will be on the archaeology of key urban sites excavated up till today (Scythopolis, Gadara, Gerasa,
Pella, Hippos and others): the development of urbanism, fortifications, cult places and other large public buildings
(theatres, markets, odeia, hippodromes etc.). Attention will be paid also to the rural hinterland of the cities, development of settlement patterns and economic life. The Decapolis will be treated in the context of archaeology of the southern Levant, which was a place of interaction and exchange between local cultures and traditions
(Jewish, Arab etc.) with Greek and later Roman newcomers.