| Through a systematic and historical analysis of the functions and organizations of the collegia centonariorum, or---by my definition---the textile tradesmen and craftsmen' associations, this dissertation illuminates how the Roman economy in textiles was structured, for what kind of public services these associations were employed by the Roman government, how the incorporated textile tradesmen and craftsmen functioned as an active element in the social, religious, economic and civic life in the Roman urban context, and how these social relations were perceived and presented in epigraphy from the perspective of these workmen. By revealing the multi-functional nature of the collegia centonariorum, my dissertation serves as a case study for a better understanding of the many-sidedness of the Roman associative phenomenon. Since the members of these associations were usually recruited from the lower classes, my discussion contributes to a larger effort to reconstruct the historical experiences of the non-elite in ancient society.; I collect 222 Latin inscriptions concerning the collegia centonariorum and all the relevant literary and legal references. In order to make full use of this corpus of materials, I often compare them with the data from the other types of Roman associations. My approach is interdisciplinary, incorporating epigraphic, onomastic, prosopographic, and juristic analyses. Furthermore, I take into account the insights provided by medieval social and economic historians. This dissertation covers the full chronological span of the collegia centonariorum and is the first monograph on this subject. |
