RomArché 2014. V Fair of Archaeological Publishing

Markets of Trajan - Imperial Roman Forum | Rome 23th - 25th May 2014

Italian version

Theme of the 2014’s edition was “Otium et Ludus”: it examined in depth the combination of non political activities that contributed to the formation of the citizen’s humanitas in ancient times: study, reading, meditation, conversation.

Furthermore there was a focus on the activities that contributed to citizen’s physical formation – games and sports – following the Latin verse “mens sana in corpore sano” by the poet Giovenale (Satire, X, 356) that meant to show the vanity of values and goods (as richness, fame and honour) that men seek to obtain with any mean necessary.

Moreover the event investigated in a contemporary perspective how the classical concept of scholé-otium evolved and developed through history to become our modern notion of “free time” and how its composition changed over time and different cultures.

Intellectual research, game and free time, sport as well as the aesthetic contemplation of a work of art, a performance or a musical composition become paths to personal growth, fulfilment and self expression and all them were widely represented inside the 2014 RomArché’s program.