The Reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, AD 138161 by John S McHugh;

Author:John S McHugh;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Ancient / Rome
Publisher: Casemate Publishers & Book Distributors, LLC
Published: 2022-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

Antoninus was also captivated by the rural charms of this villa, where he could return to his old life of a senatorial landowner focused on the gentle demands of managing his estate. According to the Historia Augusta, he ‘was very fond of the stage, found great delight in fishing and hunting and in walks and conversation with his friends, and was wont to pass vintage time in company with his friends in the manner of an ordinary citizen’.36 This is supported by the letters of Fronto, which provide brief glimpses of Antoninus at leisure dated to the early AD 140s. A hunting park had been added to the villa which the emperor and his heir took full advantage of, with Fronto advising him: ‘When you inaugurate your game reserve, be sure that you remember, without fail, if you strike a beast, to set your horse at full gallop.’37

Land and agriculture were central to the social, political and cultural identity of the Roman aristocracy; however, the production of high-quality wine was pursued with vigour as a true reflection of elevated status. Viticulture was incredibly expensive, demanding a high level of expertise, experimentation and being labour intensive, so it became the plaything of the elite who spent fortunes on their vines. The vicissitudes of the seasons also made wine production a high-risk venture that the privileged had the wealth to manage. Their focus was not the huge mass-produced, low-quality wine consumed by the thirsty mob of the capital, but instead the wine of their own dinner tables which would impress their guests with its sophistication and depth. The literary sources are full of anecdotes of members of Rome’s elite who spent their entire wealth on their vineyards, leaving themselves destitute and penniless. According to Pliny, the most valued and prestigious wines were Falernian and Surrentine, but Alban wines took first place. The aristocratic Antoninus was clearly a connoisseur.38

In late autumn, the emperor travelled to the imperial estates south of Rome to enjoy the harvesting of the grapes whilst continuing to deal with the unremitting demands of government. Letters to Fronto describe Antoninus coming ‘home from the vineyards’, whilst Marcus Aurelius had chosen to exercise with his wrestling master followed by horse riding. A later letter from Marcus Aurelius to his tutor complains: ‘You, when you are away from me, read Cato: but I, when away from you, listen to lawyers till five o’clock.’ His father would only have delegated a fraction of his daily workload upon the young Caesar. Marcus’ letters describe the imperial family’s rustic pleasure at the villa at Anagnia in the Sacco Valley, south-east of Rome. The villa is on the site of the monastery of S. Pietro di Villamagna, with remains covering 11 hectares, including a bathhouse and winery to the south of the main building. Brick stamps indicate it was built by Hadrian on the remains of an earlier building dating to the Republic. The grapes of the region of Signia were considered by Marcus as ‘too

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