The Roman presence in the Northern Black Sea Region during the Republican Era: a Sociocultural Dimension
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21847/2411-3093.2025.733Keywords:
Roman expansion, Northern Black Sea region, Roman policy, Mithridatic Wars, Roman border, Bosporian Kingdom, clientelaAbstract
The article is devoted to defining the specifics of Roman expansion and understanding Roman frontier policy in the Northern Black Sea region. The study emphasizes the differences between modern and ancient concepts of a border, which complicates its demarcation. The potential limit of the Roman state's influence is defined through M. Mann's concept of the "empire of domination," which posited three levels of Roman expansion during the Republican era. Based on historical sources, the dynamics of the Roman presence in the Northern Black Sea region are traced. Particular attention is given to the establishment of a system of client and allied states on the frontier. The entry of such states into the zone of the Roman state's diplomatic influence created the groundwork for the full-fledged integration of this region as a Roman province. The study determines that Roman expansion was defined not so much by military means as by a political strategy of eliminating or weakening potential regional hegemons, exemplified by the Pontic Kingdom of Mithridates VI Eupator. The Roman presence in the region was defined by the integration of local elites through the institution of clientela, which was crucial in establishing dependence on Rome. The emergence of a sociocultural syncretism during the Romanization and Hellenization of the region is identified.
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