Salona and its necropolises

Abstract

The phenomena of luxurious Roman necropolises is noticed in Dalmatia which is an Integral part of the ancient world. The research of that phenomena goes into the essential quality of Roman society and its relationships. The theme of this work is Salona’s necropolises ©specially those that are situated on the roads approaching a town. Salona is a town wilth a very interesiting urban structure which is strictly subordinated to the roads that existed there from ancient times, even betöre the town had been built, up there. A very important necropolis is developed along the west road. On its sides there were square parcels that had a gravestone in the middle of ili. The necropolis reached the westren area up to the Kaštel Sućurac an may be more to the west. Be.ides the western necropolis there existed a north-eastern and a south-eastern It is obvious that according to some inscriptions that have been found there, had to exist other parcels along that toad aind also on the Western road. Recently, on the north-east necropolis, two stellas of the Seventh Roman legion were discovered that were probably on service in Salona, Some important monuments of the south-west necropolis were immured in the town walls. The author suggests that the inscription in which via munita w a, mentioned, refers to this and not to the west necropolis, because it was found on the area of the first mentioned necropolis. Besides Salon’s necropolis the author mentions some other similar examples from Dalmatia (Zadar, Starigrad, Dokleja etc). After that the author refers to the fui ther development of Salona's necropolises which have a tendency to spread out in the shape of a ring round the town, because the best places along the roads had already been occupied, Cil.stìan necropolises have got a different tendency of development and their main destination is a sacred place (usually the martyr’s grave, relics etc.) Furthermore the author discusses sepulchral inscriptions and analyses all the terms referring to the grave parcels, fences, approaches etc. At the end the author gives us some general points about Salona’s necropolises and distinguishes two types of grave formation; one type is near villages and hamlets (vicus), the other type is near properties.