Roman Ionia: Constructions of Cultural Identity in Western Asia Minor (Greek Culture in the Roman World)

How did the cities of Ionia construct and express a distinct sense of Ionian identity under Roman rule? With the creation of the Roman province of Asia and the ever-growing incorporation of the Greeks into the Roman Empire, issues of identity gained new relevance and urgency for the Greek provincials. The Ionian cities are a special case as they, unlike many other cities in Asia Minor, were all old Greek poleis and could look back on a glorious tradition of great antiquity. Martin Hallmannsecker provides answers to this question using studies of the extant literary sources complemented with analyses of the rich epigraphic and numismatic material from the cities of Ionia. In doing so, he draws a more holistic and nuanced picture of the region and furthers understanding of Greek culture under the Roman Empire. Cover Half-title page Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents List of Figures List of Maps List of Tables Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1 Mental Geographies 1.1 Historical Overview 1.2 Ionia in the Roman Period 1.3 Provincial Identities Chapter 2 The Ionian Koinon 2.1 The Ionian Koinon before the Imperial Period 2.2 The Ionian Koinon in the Imperial Period 2.3 Excursus: Ionianness and the Panhellenion Chapter 3 Cults and Myths 3.1 Ionian Cults 3.2 Ionian Myths Chapter 4 Times and Names 4.1 The Construction of Time 4.2 The Construction of Names Chapter 5 The Ionic Dialect 5.1 Ionic in the Roman Period 5.2 The Use of Other Dialects in Inscriptions of the Roman Period 5.3 The So-Called Pseudo-Ionic Literature Chapter 6 Ionianness outside Ionia 6.1 Cultural Identities in the Black Sea Region 6.2 The Ionians of Pisidia and Phrygia Concluding Remarks Appendix: Evidence for Officials of the Ionian Koinon in the Roman Period Maps Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources General Index Through a detailed study of Roman Ionia, this book offers insight into the perceptions and constructions of collective cultural identities in the ancient world. It will benefit scholars and students interested in the issues of regional identities and the cultural history of Ancient Greece overall.