Lycian Social Hierarchy – Tombs as sources

The social hierarchy of Lycia is very hard to reconstruct, since the surviving evidence is limited to coins issued by the dynasts, tombs (of which few can be said to belong to those of the lower strata) (Keen (1998) 34) and scraps written by Greek and Roman historians. Due to the nature of this evidence …

The Prima Porta Augustus and policy

The Prima Porta Augustus is often seen as the cover model (literally: Zanker (1980, 2001 print); Southern (2014, 2nd edition); Goldsworthy (2014)) of Augustus’ reign and all that it represents. The highly decorated statue was found 12km north of Rome in the Villa of Livia, Augustus’ wife. Current thought suggests that it was a marble …

Rome in Late Antiquity

In this post I tackle issues relating to the city of Rome in Late Antiquity, and how the emperors continued to improve and innovate, and what factors motivated them to do so. To begin, I am going to tackle some of the issues regarding the archaeology of Late Antique Rome, in an effort to demonstrate …

Hadrian and Rome

Hadrian came to power after the death of his adopted father Trajan in 117 AD. In contrast to Trajan, Hadrian wished to consolidate the empire rather than expand it, and this is reflected in how he approached building projects in the city of Rome. A learned man, he sought to ensure stability and did this …

Federalism in the Hellenistic Period

In another post based on my undergrad dissertation, I discuss the role of Achaean identity and the rise of federalism in the Hellenistic period. What does it mean to be a city in a world dominated by large kingdoms and how do you react to their domination? I have previously discussed how Achaea was able …

The Early Achaean League 900 – 371 BC

“The Achaean League seems to have been, on the whole, a rather admirable institution. Its early history and development is, however, somewhat more complicated than I realised…”[1] The lack of certainty regarding the origins of how the Achaean League formed means most histories of Achaea mention Homer, the lack of poleis in the region until …

Sikyon – Building a Picture of a City

This post is the first in a two part series about Survey Archaeology. Sikyon was a polis in the North of the Peloponnese. It was city famed for the Archaic and Hellenistic figures associated with it (the tyrant Cleisthenes and the Achaean League strategos Aratus) and the various sculptors who originated there, most famous amongst …

The Nereid Monument and Lycian Art

The Lycians are a people that are talked about often, but little is firmly known about them (Keen 1998, 1). They were an Anatolian people who inhabited the southern part of what is now Turkey, they were heavily influence by the culture around them especially the Greeks and the Persians. What we do know about …

Some useful texts for Ancient Historians and Archaeologists

As the beginning of the academic year commences, I thought it worth thinking about what books a student hoping to do Ancient History or Classics might need. By the end of my first year at uni, my straining shelves held over one hundred books, so I know which are essential and which are a waste …