Between kingdom and "koinon": Neapolis/Neoklaudiopolis and the Pontic cities (Geographica Historica)

"When, around 64 BC, the Romans drove out the last king of Pontos, they turned parts of his domains into a Roman province. The interior was, however, not ready for annexation, and a city-state culture was introduced, including the foundation of seven new cities in an area previously characterised by fortresses and temple states. This book surveys the development of these cities from their origins in the war-torn territories of the Pontic kingdom to the third century AD; by then they were fully incorporated in the Roman Empire. Furthermore, it places particular emphasis on one of them, Neapolis (later Neoklaudiopolis), an important but little studied city. Not only is this the first book-length study of Neapolis in its regional context, it also reassesses the many Greek and Latin inscriptions from this city and Pontos in general. Among the documents re-evaluated here is a famous imperial oath taken to the Emperor Augustus, aptly illustrating the difficult transition from a Persian-Anatolian domain to a Roman province by the means of client kings and the imperial cult."-- Back cover Contents Introduction Chapter I: The imperial oaths 1. The imperial oath from Neapolis 2. A comparison of the imperial oaths 3. Scholarly trends in the study of the origins and development of the imperial oath 4. The purpose of the preserved imperial oaths Chapter II: The provincial assemblies of the Pontic areas 1. Marcus Antonius Rufus and the koinon 2. Enter the koinon 3. The political importance of the koinon 4. The koinon and res repetundae Chapter III: The Pontic koina 1. Introduction 2. A war of analysts and unitarians 3. The impact of Deininger 4. Summary remarks 5. The Pontic koinon of Pontus et Bithynia 6. The Paphlagonian koinon 7. The koinon of Armenia Minor 8. The Pontic koina outside the double province Pontus et Bithynia Chapter IV: Neoklaudiopolis – the local level 1. Introduction 2. Civic institutions 3. The social and private sphere 4. Private associations 5. The military sphere 6. The administrative sphere 7. The religious sphere 8. Language 9. Onomastics 10. Citizenship – local and Roman 11. The civic era 12. Conclusion Chapter V: The provincialisation of Pontos: Sacrilege and slaughter 1. Introduction 2. Cities, fortresses and temple states 3. Rebellion and reluctance – return to dynastic rule 4. Not yet fit for Roman rule – Mark Antony’s reorganisation of Pontos 5. King Polemon – the making of a pious dynasty 6. Pythodoris – a wise woman and a skilled ruler 7. Polemon II and the eclipse of the Pontic kingdom 8. Pontos under Roman rule 9. Imperial rule and imperial cult in the Pontic areas 10. Pontic names 11. The imperial cult and the pressure to conform Chapter VI: Mission complete Conclusion Appendix: The remaining six imperial oaths Literature Abbreviations Bibliography Indices Ancient personal names Modern personal names Places Subjects Main sources