The Afterlife of the Roman City: Architecture and Ceremony in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages by Hendrik W. Dey

Aachen Cathedral embodies the architectural and ceremonial continuity of late antique urban forms into the early Middle Ages. Research by Hendrik W. Dey reveals that colonnaded avenues and processional ceremonies persisted as central expressions of civic authority from the 3rd to the 9th centuries, despite significant political and economic transformations. These porticated streets served as stages for imperial and ecclesiastical processions, such as the 'adventus,' which reinforced power dynamics between rulers and their subjects. Dey's analysis, based on diverse textual, material, and iconographic evidence from regions including Arabia and Germany, demonstrates that this urban topography remained significant even during periods of decline, influencing later monastic and palace centers like Carolingian Francia. The study challenges traditional narratives by highlighting the resilience of late antique urban forms, offering new insights into the evolution of authority and ceremony in post-Roman Europe.

Pettegrew, D. K. (2017). The Afterlife of the Roman City: Architecture and Ceremony in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages by Hendrik W. Dey. Journal of Early Christian Studies, 25(1), 162–163. https://doi.org/10.1353/earl.2017.0012