1st Edition
Greek and Roman Networks in the Mediterranean
How useful is the concept of "network" for historical studies and the ancient world in particular? Using theoretical models of social network analysis, this book illuminates aspects of the economic, social, religious, and political history of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.
Bringing together some of the most active and prominent researchers in ancient history, this book moves beyond political institutions, ethnic, and geographical boundaries in order to observe the ancient Mediterranean through a perspective of network interaction. It employs a wide range of approaches, and to examine relationships and interactions among various social entities in the Mediterranean. Chronologically, the book extends from the early Iron Age to the late Antique world, covering the Mediterranean between Antioch in the east to Massalia (Marseilles) in the west.
This book was published as two special issues in Mediterranean Historical Review.
1. Introduction Irad Malkin, Christy Constantokopoulou and Katerina Panagopoulou
2. Beyond and below the polis: Networks, associations and the writing of Greek history Kostas Vlassopoulos
3. Network theory and Theoric Networks Ian Rutherford
4. Did the Delphic Amphiktiony play a political role in the classical period? Simon Hornblower
5. Pythios and Pythion: The spread of a cult title J.K. Davies
6. Cults of Demeter Eleusinia and the transmission of religious ideas Hugh Bowden
7. What travelled with Greek pottery? Robin Osborne
8. Networks of commerce and knowledge in the Iron Age: The case of the Phoenicians Michael Sommer
9. Networks of Rhodians in Karia Riet van Bremen
10. Libanius' social networks: understanding the social structure of the later Roman empire Isabella Sandwell
11. Network theory and religious innovation Anna Collar
12. Commercial networks in the Mediterranean and the diffusion of early Attic red-figure pottery Paleothodoros
13. Brotherhoods of faith and providence: The non-public associations of the Greek world Gabrielsen
14. Thessalians abroad: The case of Pharsalos Stamatopoulou
15. Profitable Networks: Coinages, Panegyreis, and the Dionysiac Artists Psoma
16. On the road to India with Apollonios of Tyana and Thomas the Apostle Reger
17. Via Egnatia after Egnatius: Imperial policy ander inter-regional contacts Lolos
18. Hadrian's Panhellenion: A network of cities? Doukellis
19. Merchant networks in the Greek world: The impact of Rome Rathbone
Biography
Irad Malkin is Chair of the History department at Tel Aviv University and co-Editor of Mediterranean Historical Review.
Christy Constantakopoulou is lecturer in Ancient History at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology of Birkbeck College, London.
Katerina Panagopoulou is lecturer in Ancient History at the Department of History and Archaeology, University of Crete, Rethymno, Greece.
Overall the book succeeds in its stated aim of exploring the potential applications of addressing historical questions by thinking about networks and connectivity in different contexts and with different types of evidence. In this way, the flexibility and adaptability of the methodology has been successfully demonstrated, and readers interested in new approaches may find many of the papers of use. - Marlena Whiting
