Insularity and identity in the Roman Mediterranean

Anna Kouremenos, Nicholas Purcell

• Publisher: Oxbow Books
• Year: 2017
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9781785705816
• Subtopic: Roman Ancient History
• Index: Social Sciences

Insularity – the state or condition of being an island – has played a key role in shaping the identities of populations inhabiting islands of the Mediterranean. As entities surrounded by water and usually possessing different landscapes and ecosystems from those of the mainland, islands allow for the potential to study both the land and the sea. Archaeologically, they have the potential to reveal distinct identities shaped by such forces as invasion, imperialism, colonialism, and connectivity. The theme of insularity and identity in the Roman period has not been the subject of a book length study but has been prevalent in scholarship dealing with the prehistoric periods. The papers in this book explore the concepts of insularity and identity in the Roman period by addressing some of the following questions: what does it mean to be an island? How has insularity shaped ethnic, cultural, and social identity in the Mediterranean during the Roman period? How were islands connected to the mainland and other islands? Did insularity produce isolation or did the populations of Mediterranean islands integrate easily into a common 'Roman' culture? How has maritime interaction shaped the economy and culture of specific islands? Can we argue for distinct 'island identities' during the Roman period? The twelve papers presented here each deal with specific islands or island groups, thus allowing for an integrated view of Mediterranean insularity and identity.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• About the Authors
• Preface: Anna Kouremenos
• 1. Introduction: Anna Kouremenos
• 2. Insularity and Identity in Roman Cyprus: Connectivity, Complexity, and Cultural Change: Jody Michael Gordon
• 3. In the Heart of the Wine-dark Sea: Cretan Insularity and Identity in the Roman Period: Anna Kouremenos
• 4. Insularity and Identity in the Northern Sporades Islands: The Question of Roman Policy in Central Greece: Alkiviadis A. Ginalis
• 5. Where East Meets West: Island Societies of the Ionian Sea Under Roman Rule: Sophia Zoumbaki
• 6. The Cult of Silvanus in the Central Adriatic Islands between Insularity and Connectivity: Danijel Dzino
• 7. Tracing Identity from Insularity: Maltese Industries in the Late Punic and Roman Period: Maxine Anastasi
• 8. Connectivity, Trade and Punic Persistence: Insularity and Identity in Late Punic to Roman Republican Sardinia (3rd–1st century BC): Andrea Roppa
• 9. Etudes et constat préliminaire des implantations fortifiées de Corse du second âge du Fer au changement d’ère. Le Cas de la région Centre-Ouest de la Corse: Jean-Baptiste Mary
• 10. Conclusion: Swii Yii Lim