POLITICS AND RELIGION IN THE AGER LAURENS ALISON COOLEY The region of the ager Laurens to the south of the city of Rome, between Ostia and Ardea, enjoyed many close connections of various types with the capital - geographical, historical, religious, and economic. The whole expanse of the litus Laurentinuin formed part of the faFade maritime by which Rome’s economic and social relationship with overseas lands was mediated via the channels of communication provided by the many landing-places along the coast.* The landscape of the ager Laurens presents something of a paradox: on the one hand, the city of Rome was not tightly sealed off from its environs, but the city’s suburbs gradually merged with them, blurring the conceptual and physical boundaries between town and c~untryside.~ On the other hand, the ager Laurens itself possessed a set of characteristics that clearly distinguished it from the capital: Some of these characteristics were natural features of its landscape, but, as we shall see, inscribed monuments also contributed to its distinctiveness. The identities of those who set up inscribed monuments in this region contributed further to the juxtaposition of metropolitan and parochial interests, since some (including members both of the fumilia Caesaris and of Rome’s ruling Clite) had strong ties to the capital, whilst others emphasized their regional allegiances, calling themselves Laurentes.s In the surviving epigraphic evidence, however, a cohesive group known simply as the Laurentes only existed in the minds of emperors: by contrast, when the Laurentes actually set up inscriptions, they I would like to thank all the members of the audience at the workshop for their illuminating comments upon the first draft of this paper, particularly Jim Adams and John Patterson. I also greatly benefited from discussing CIL XIV 2071 with Amanda Claridge, Giuseppina Lauro, and Joyce Reynolds. Further useful criticism of a later draft of this chapter came from Michael Crawford and Nicholas Purcell, and a seminar audience at Helsinki, where I spoke at the kind invitation of Heikki Solin. They should not, of course, be held responsible for what follows. N. Purcell, ‘The ports of Rome: evolution of a ‘jafaFade maritime’, in ‘Roman Ostia’ revisited, eds A.Gallina Zevi and A. Claridge (Rome 1996) 267-79; N. Purcell, ‘Alla scoperta di una costa residenziale romana: il Litus Laurenfinum e I’archeologia dell’otium’, in Castelponiano 111. Campugne di scuvo e restauro 1987-1991, ed. M. G. Lauro (Rome 1998) 11-32, at 12-18. N. Purcell, ‘Tomb and suburb’, in Riimische GraberstraJen: Selbstdarstellung, Status, Standard, eds H. von Hesberg and P. Zanker (Munich 1987) 25-41; N. Purcell, ‘Town in country and country in town’, in Ancient Roman villa gardens, ed. E. B. MacDougall (Washington D.C. 1987) 185-203. Purcell, ‘Alla scoperta di una costa residenziale romana’ (above, n.2) 18-21. Epigraphic activities of imperial freedmen and of aproconsul Africae: A. Claridge, ‘I1 Vicus di epoca imperiale: indagini archeologiche nel 1985 e 1986’, and M. G. Lauro, ‘Cippo con dedica a Silvano da Marco Antonio Balbo’, both in Castelporziano 11. Campagna di scavo e restauro 1985-1986 (Rome 1988) 61-73, at 66, and 57-60. 173