Aristocracies between the Tides: Identity, Navigation and Power along the Adriatic Routes

In the aftermath of the barbarian invasions of the 6th and 7th c., the political unity of the Roman Adriatic was shattered. Barbarian identities quickly expanded in Italy and South-eastern Europe, while aristocracies associated to the empire shrank to costal enclaves, spreading as a leopard pattern along the shores of the main route in Dalmatia, Istria and North-eastern Italy. These aristocracies displayed anthroponomy, dignities, style echoing the ideal of the empire and making a difference with their close neighbours of the hinterland, who generally embraced barbarian identities. These aristocracies of imperial habits, notwithstanding their association with Rome and Byzantium, lacked a common name and other markers of traditional blueprints for social and ethnic classification: hence, historiography used to focus on single regions rather than on the entire Adriatic. In this given scenario, the close succession of Romans and barbarians was explained through models of conquest and resistance. This concept is now outdated, yet alternative explanatory models are still missing. The applicant proposes that due to their similarities in the base of social power, identity and habits, relationship with the empire, and bond to the Adriatic Sea, these aristocracies dwelling in seaports separated by many sea-miles should be investigated as an interconnected whole. In the applicants opinion, it was communication, instead of common descent, that cemented identity. The aim of the project is to study the resources, identity and habits of these Adriatic aristocracies between 500 and 1000.

The project focused on the Adriatic Sea between 400 and 1000, particularly on the transformations of Roman identity along its coasts. If around 500 the Adriatic was still a Roma lake, in the year 1000 Romanness was confined to isolated coastal enclaves which were struggling to join or avoid Venetian hegemony. They occupied a subtle niche having no common name, but apparently sharing similar habits, a sense of belonging, and strong bonds to the sea. The project aimed to develop a processual approach in order to understand how social identities were constantly built through practices. A major aspect of investigation was the aristocracies life on the sea, which apparently merged with the symbolic capital of the empire in order to fashion early medieval Romanness on the Adriatic. The sharing of daily activities and fatigue together with common knowledge and the constant view of similar seascapes were in the investigators mind elements motor for the building of identities. Romanness was indeed not only understood as a heritage of symbols and myths long past, but as a repository of meaning which could be actively performed daily. The researched based primarily on literary sources, on the growing body of archaeological findings, but also on comparison with research conducted on the Northern Seas and reflections stemming from the anthropological disciplines. The researcher aimed to reinstate the unitary character of the aristocracies of imperial tradition settling the Adriatic horizon moving beyond their nominal allegiance to Byzantium also exploring the role of the sea and its impact to the shape of human societies under different circumstances. The project was interrupted after two years only, because F. Borri won a position at Ca Foscari University of Venice. This was achieved thanks to the FWF founding which supported him for many years. Venice is, nevertheless, an ideal place to continue this research. The project-results have been presented in numerous publications and talks and an English monograph will follow, hopefully soon.