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A dimensão atlântica da Lusitânia: periferia ou charneira no Império Romano?
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Ao longo do tempo, a literatura greco-latina foi construindo uma imagem estereotipada do
extremo ocidente, onde se identificam recorrentemente alguns tópicos: “fim do mundo”, “terra
ignota”, “lugar de prodígios” e “sítio de barbárie”. Estas imagens, primeiramente forjadas em âmbito
helenístico, persistiram como lugares-comuns da literatura até à Antiguidade Tardia.
Acrescente-se, porém, que não faltam nessa mesma literatura registos mais objectivos do crescente
conhecimento das costas atlânticas, que se tornaram espaços perfeitamente familiares e frequentados
durante a época romana. Há, pois, distintas tradições literárias que devem ser devidamente
contextualizadas e não tomadas literalmente.
A investigação portuguesa sobre a Antiguidade assumiu de um modo cândido esta imagem de
finisterra, à beira do terrífico mar Oceano, e interiorizou a noção de uma Lusitania ultra-periférica
no contexto do Império Romano, mesclando acriticamente as distintas tradições literárias, com
especial destaque para as primeiras. A condição francamente interior dos principais centros políticos
da provincia constituía um outro argumento a favor de uma depreciação do litoral.
Paralelamente, o desenvolvimento das pesquisas em outras paragens, valorizou a importância de
algumas rotas de circulação norte-sul, designadamente o istmo gaulês e as rotas do Ródano e
Reno, no abastecimento à Britannia ou à Germania Inferior, sublinhando a suposta condição periférica
hispânica e desvalorizando assim a rota atlântica que, apesar de algumas dificuldades de
navegação, constituía a melhor escolha, atendendo à razão distância / custo.
Nos últimos anos, um crescente interesse pela orla litoral lusitana conduziu a algumas verificações
importantes: em primeiro lugar, a existência de uma significativa actividade de exploração
de recursos marinhos, com uma não menos importante componente de exportação; em segundo
lugar, o reconhecimento de interessantes fenómenos de oscilação nas dinâmicas do povoamento,
com uma evidente valorização das zonas de estuário, particularmente notória nos casos dos rios
Sado e Tejo; a multiplicação de registos arqueológicos relacionados com o transporte e circulação
de mercadorias por via marítima ao longo da faixa atlântica (designadamente, o padrão de distribuição
de algumas ânforas e cerâmicas finas); finalmente, com a identificação de elementos concretos
sobre a navegação antiga (cepos de âncoras, naufrágios e elementos de sinalização naval).
A conjugação destes dados constitui um interessante tema de reflexão, que permite reequacionar
o papel da Lusitania no contexto do Império Romano. Não tanto como remota e distante
periferia, mas como verdadeira charneira entre espaços provinciais. Não se pretende, naturalmente,
depreciar as já conhecidas rotas de circulação norte-sul, de há muito reconhecidas, nem defender
que a Lusitania poderia ter sido o que de facto não foi, mas sim trazer para o debate científico
a relevância da rota atlântica no âmbito do Império Romano e a consequente reavaliação da mais ocidental das províncias, neste contexto.
Abstract: From the Ancient Greek and Roman literary sources we have an image of the westernmost part of Europe, the former Roman Province of Lusitania, built upon some persistent topics, such as: “end of the world”, “unknown land”, “land of prodigy and barbarians”. Those literary topoi survived until Late Antiquity. But we may also found many signs of a growing knowledge and familiarity with Atlantic coastal areas. This knowledge is so relevant that one can argue that those coasts are actually well known and frequented by the Romans. So, what we have is two distinct and in some sense contradictory traditions, that required a more critic evaluation. In other words: literature its just literature. Modern Portuguese research on Antiquity assumed frequently a candid attitude toward those records, accepting the image of “finis terrae”, near the dangerous and unknown “Ocean sea” and so admitted that the former Roman Province of Lusitania as an “ultra periphery” in the context of the Roman Empire. The inland condition of the major political centres, such as Augusta Emerita or Pax Iulia, with the exception of Scallabis, actually directly accessible from the sea, has been seen as other arguments on behalf of that supposed peripheral condition. The research undertook in other regions emphasized the role of other south/north routes, such as the Gallic isthmus or the Rhone and Rhine valleys, on the supplies to the military frontiers of Britannia and Germania Inferior, underestimating the relevance of the maritime Atlantic route, which is actually the best choice according to a cost/profit relationship, despite some sailing difficulties, and so contributing also to sketch the image of the Hispanic “ultra peripheral” condition. In the last decades, a growing interest on the study of Lusitanian coastal areas allowed some important new issues: on one hand, the existence of a significant activity of marine resources exploitation with a no less relevant export activity; on the other hand, a growing knowledge of the settlement dynamics in the estuary areas, mainly in the lower Sado and Tejo rivers, related with production and transport of several goods, as one can see in the general pattern of the spread of amphorae and other imported ceramics, underlying the relevance of the Atlantic as a commercial route; last, but not least, the identification of archaeological remains of an Atlantic navigation (anchors, shipwrecks and light signal spots). A joint consideration of all that evidence is a serious subject of analysis, suggesting that we should change our paradigm on the study of the role of ancient Lusitania in the context of Roman Empire. No more the remote and peripheral land, but an actual important scale point between the different occidental provinces. Naturally, I have no intention of underestimating the other well-known routes, using the Gallic land and rivers, neither to pretend that Lusitania has more importance than that it actually has, but to bring to the scientific agenda the subject of the Atlantic route and its importance for a re-evaluation of the role of Lusitania in ancient times, gathering some relevant data.
Abstract: From the Ancient Greek and Roman literary sources we have an image of the westernmost part of Europe, the former Roman Province of Lusitania, built upon some persistent topics, such as: “end of the world”, “unknown land”, “land of prodigy and barbarians”. Those literary topoi survived until Late Antiquity. But we may also found many signs of a growing knowledge and familiarity with Atlantic coastal areas. This knowledge is so relevant that one can argue that those coasts are actually well known and frequented by the Romans. So, what we have is two distinct and in some sense contradictory traditions, that required a more critic evaluation. In other words: literature its just literature. Modern Portuguese research on Antiquity assumed frequently a candid attitude toward those records, accepting the image of “finis terrae”, near the dangerous and unknown “Ocean sea” and so admitted that the former Roman Province of Lusitania as an “ultra periphery” in the context of the Roman Empire. The inland condition of the major political centres, such as Augusta Emerita or Pax Iulia, with the exception of Scallabis, actually directly accessible from the sea, has been seen as other arguments on behalf of that supposed peripheral condition. The research undertook in other regions emphasized the role of other south/north routes, such as the Gallic isthmus or the Rhone and Rhine valleys, on the supplies to the military frontiers of Britannia and Germania Inferior, underestimating the relevance of the maritime Atlantic route, which is actually the best choice according to a cost/profit relationship, despite some sailing difficulties, and so contributing also to sketch the image of the Hispanic “ultra peripheral” condition. In the last decades, a growing interest on the study of Lusitanian coastal areas allowed some important new issues: on one hand, the existence of a significant activity of marine resources exploitation with a no less relevant export activity; on the other hand, a growing knowledge of the settlement dynamics in the estuary areas, mainly in the lower Sado and Tejo rivers, related with production and transport of several goods, as one can see in the general pattern of the spread of amphorae and other imported ceramics, underlying the relevance of the Atlantic as a commercial route; last, but not least, the identification of archaeological remains of an Atlantic navigation (anchors, shipwrecks and light signal spots). A joint consideration of all that evidence is a serious subject of analysis, suggesting that we should change our paradigm on the study of the role of ancient Lusitania in the context of Roman Empire. No more the remote and peripheral land, but an actual important scale point between the different occidental provinces. Naturally, I have no intention of underestimating the other well-known routes, using the Gallic land and rivers, neither to pretend that Lusitania has more importance than that it actually has, but to bring to the scientific agenda the subject of the Atlantic route and its importance for a re-evaluation of the role of Lusitania in ancient times, gathering some relevant data.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Arqueologia Roma Lusitania Atlântico
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Gorges, Jean-Gérard... [et al.] - Lusitânia romana: entre o mito e a realidade: actas da VI Mesa-Redonda Internacional sobre a Lusitânia Romana. p.53-74