Topografía del culto en las casas romanas de la Baetica y la Tarraconensis

Abstract

The election of the religious space location within the Roman house seems to be a major
factor to understand the value and functions given to the lararium by the family. Archaeological
evidences from the Baetica and Tarraconensis can contribute outstanding information
to this subject, even though they are scarce and their conservation is not always satisfactory.
In the context of the information known from other parts of the Roman world –especially
the Vesuvian cities– and from the protohistoric domestic cults in the Iberian Peninsula, the
analysis of the topography of the domestic cult in these provinces points to the great importance
that the social value and the protective function –of the family, the home or the
business– had in the position of the lararia, that could be devoted to one (protection), other
(family representation) or both functions. Some peculiarities of the domestic cult in these
provinces seem to be related to indigenous traditions.