ABSTRACT
The main goal of the current research is to underline certain aspects of the self-representation of power at a provincial level; the area of focus will be the province of Dacia. In order to reach this goal, we will study the praetorium consularis from Apulum (present-day Alba Iulia, Alba county, Romania), as reflection of power par excellence. The main coordinates consist, on the one hand, in correlating epigraphic data with evidence encoded in monuments and art pieces, and, on the other hand, in interpreting such data not only through statistical and quantitative means, but also as expressions of collective mentalities undergoing constant change. According to this latter direction of research, we intend to study two aspects of ancient mentalities: the self-representation of power (the way in which members of the elite saw and represented themselves through monuments, inscriptions etc.) and the way society envisaged its leaders.
