Mapping Roman sounds

A methodological approach to reconstructing Roman soundscapes

Abstract

The great relevance of music and sounds in antiquity is contrasted by the fact that sounds have faded away and cannot be reproduced; only the echoes in archaeological, iconographic and literary sources have been preserved. The sources on ancient music are thus the result of a remarkable medial transformation process from sound to images and texts. This medial transformation has to be revealed through a critical examination of contexts and genres to open up new perspectives on the meaning of sounds in Roman antiquity. Through our concept of “Klang-Raum” (Soundspace), the corresponding analysis of the sources enables the reconstruction of manifold urban sound­spaces. Taking the funeral procession, the pompa funebris, as an example, we demonstrate how the synopsis of different source genres reveals a complex picture of the significance of sound and mu­sic in the Roman funerary ritual.