The Collegium of Lanuvium and Tertullian's Apologeticum: An Analysis of Associative Structures in the Roman Empire

• Grant number: 25/02677-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - Ancient and Medieval History
• Principal Investigator: Julio Cesar Magalhães de Oliveira
• Grantee: Michele Cristina Jesus Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The project aims to investigate voluntary associations in the Roman Empire, focusing on the Collegium of Lanuvium and the early Christian communities described in Tertullian's Apologeticum. The research seeks to understand the similarities and differences between these groups by analysing funerary practices, support networks, and interactions with political power. Employing a historiographical and documentary approach, the study intends to explore how Christian communities and Roman associations adapted and organised themselves within the Roman Empire in response to their specific needs. The work aspires to contribute to the understanding of the interactions between these two subaltern communities and Roman society.