Networks

The study of ancient networks represents a major new direction in contemporary approaches to ancient history and constitutes a methodological breakthrough in our field. Through the framework of Social Network Analysis (SNA), the study of ancient networks explores the structure of various types of relationships—economic, political, religious, cultural, social, interpersonal, and more. The specialization of members of the Section of Greek and Roman Antiquity in prosopography, epigraphy, and numismatics positions us at the forefront of research into ancient networks. Our work reveals forms of connectivity in the ancient world and highlights the importance of different factors in the creation, development, and dissolution of networks. Through the study of land routes (Byron Antoniadis) and maritime communications (Konstantakopoulou, Papageorgiadou), we shed light on the degree of interaction among various political entities (city-states, federal leagues, kingdoms, etc.) and ancient societies, and we bring forward the ways in which these societies engaged with one another across the broader Mediterranean world.