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Abstract
This thesis explores how Alba Longa played a role in shaping Roman identity and self-perception. It first considers the ways that Roman rites and ceremonies held at Alba, primarily the Feriae Latinae and the Alban Mount triumph, provided and affirmed the legitimate authority of the Roman state and its officials. It then interrogates various locations and monuments in Rome, including the Tiber River and the Forum of Augustus, to show their functions as places of Alban memory. These marked sites serve both to point Rome back to Alba and to center Alban legitimacy in Rome. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that the connection between Rome and Alba was important to the perception of Roman hegemony that rests upon its claim as the successor to Alba.