Journal of Late Antiquity

Abstract:

A curious feature of the epigraphic record of the late antique city of Rome is the sudden disappearance of the association of builders, the collegium fabrum tignariorum around 300 ce, at a point in time otherwise known to have been one of energetic urban expansion. This article argues that a crucial piece of evidence has been overlooked and sheds new light on the history of the fabri tignarii in the context of fourth-century Rome. A new edition and re-contextualization of an inscription found at Sant’Omobono in 1937 allows us to date it more firmly to the early fourth century and to relate the text to the fabri tignarii. The inscription shows that all building associations at Rome in the early fourth-century ce were amalgamated into a single association, and that this was accompanied by a collective re-identification. The inscription therefore offers new insight into the organization of building in Rome and demonstrates that the early fourth century was marked by significant reform in the building industry.