Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has developed an interactive catalogue with the geolocation of cities in Spain and Latin America that have been given names from Greco-Roman antiquity or have been compared to ancient cities. This initiative, developed as part of the ANTIMO research project, seeks to offer a new perspective on modernization, progress and the construction of political models through classical references.
The map not only refers to the two main Greco-Roman cities, Athens and Rome, but also includes a wide variety of names and locations. "We have identified more than 200 cities, but we know there are still more to be discovered. In addition, we have located geographical areas that, although not cities, also refer to classical antiquity and could enrich this catalogue in the future," explains the researcher who co-directs this project, Mirella Romero Recio, director of the Julio Caro Baroja Institute of Historiography at UC3M together with Jesús Salas, professor at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM).
The registry, which is designed as an academic reference tool and has been developed by UC3M research staff in collaboration with the University's library service, allows the user to locate these cities through different types of searches, including by name (both ancient and modern cities) and via a map or virtual globe. When you select a city, you can access a file with detailed information linking its name to the classical legacy to which it alludes, as well as the source where it is mentioned and the text in which it is cited.
"The UC3M library has played a key role in standardizing the data and defining the criteria that govern this cataloguing system," comments Teresa Boyer Lagos, director of the UC3M Library of Humanities, Communication and Documentation. "One of the main challenges has been mapping the metadata under the Dublin Core international standard, which guarantees the interoperability and standardization of the system for its future integration into scientific repositories and open data platforms."
The project also builds and expands on previous research carried out as part of the RIPOMPHEI project, which analysed the role of the city of Pompeii in the imaginary of Ibero-American elites as a symbol of modernity and distinction from the colonial past. It also attempts to go beyond simple toponymic compilation to explore how references to Greece and Rome have been instrumentalized in different historical and political contexts.
"Comparisons with Athens and Rome are not only used as urban similes, but are employed in modern discourse to legitimize policies and project societal ideals. For example, cities that want to stand out for their prestige in relation to the arts and literature are usually compared to Athens. Rome, on the other hand, is used by cities that want to stand out for their political or economic power," explains Mirella Romero. "However, in recent years we have seen how certain political figures invoke authoritarian models from the Roman past to justify reactionary and masculinized positions of power."
In the coming years, the research team plans to further develop lines of study that incorporate a gender perspective. One of its priority objectives will be to highlight women who, at different historical moments, used the legacy of antiquity as an argument to defend their rights, access to education and participation in political life.
The ANTIMO project, "Modernized Antiquity: Greece and Rome at the service of the idea of civilization, order and progress in Spain and Latin America", has been funded by Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Spanish State Research Agency (PID2021-123745NB-I00, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
More information:
https://humanidadesdigitales.uc3m.es/s/antimo/page/inicio1
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs2P0ZFEv5k