Abstract

The region of Roman Hauran in Southern Syria and Northern Jordan is characterised by a dense net of ancient settlements that appear in large part as villages judging by their size. Also, in epigraphic sources, komai (villages), metrokomai (large villages) and only few poleis (cities) appear. On the other hand, the set of buildings (temple, theatre, plaza, nymphaeum) and the often high elaboration of architectural decoration give the small settlements the semblance of urban centers. However, not only architecture, but also a highly differentiated body of officials makes reference to the way cities are organised.

In my paper, I explore whether religious institutions can help understand the particular social and spatial structures in Roman Hauran. A first part concentrates on resource management and religious institutions. The analysis of the relationships of settlements broadens the view on conjunctions of places and communities rather than separating places and people. In the second part, I examine the traces of the worship of the Roman emperor, an urban phenomenon in general. Assessing the scanty evidence, I look for facilities that might be connected to the religious veneration of emperors in Hauran and ask whether urban structures are a prerequisite or a result of this particular aspect of Roman religion.