From the Hellenistic world to the Roman ‘oikoumene’

The transition from the earlier structures of the Greek world—city-states, kingdoms, federations—to the Roman oikoumene and their gradual integration into the Roman administrative system brought about transformations on multiple levels. Manifestations of these transformations have long been a central focus of research in the Section of Greek and Roman Antiquity, yet this rich field continues to generate new inquiries. How were continental ethne incorporated into the new reality introduced by the Roman presence? How did relations between the cities of Epirus, and between these cities and Rome, evolve? What changes occurred in the political, social, and economic structures of the Ionian islands and the opposite mainland coast, regions that stood on the front line of contact with Rome? How was Roman provincial administration shaped in the Greek-speaking East, and what forms of communicative culture developed between the cities and the emperor as well as between the cities and the regional Roman administration? What role did Greek cities claim for themselves in this new reality, and how is this reflected in various aspects of their life—for example, in their coinage? These are some of the current topics under study in the Section, which continues to expand its contributions to this line of research.