Understanding the Graeculi: A Greek Roman Empire in the Third and Fourth Centuries Open Access

Abstract

This dissertation examines how and why the Roman emperors of the tetrarchy, including Constantine, changed the imperial landscape in the third and fourth centuries. In particular, it seeks to understand how these changes impacted Greeks residing in the Greek-speaking East. My analysis traces the development of the relationship between the Greeks and the Roman Empire, primarily from the reign of Trajan (r. 98-117) to that of Julian (r. 360-363), in order to properly assess the cultural history during the tetrarchy. Drawing on legal, epigraphic, material, and other textual evidence, I shed light on the social and political impact of imperial policies in the Greek and Roman world.

Hellenic culture was a pillar in the Roman world. Elite Greeks and Romans held strong ideas and opinions about oratorical and philosophical practices in Greek cities. These practices, established in Athens and cities in Asia Minor in the 4th century BCE, continued to shape the intellectual and political communities in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE. Importantly, these practices would inform the cultural basis of Greek identity and unite Greeks after they were officially citizens of the Roman Empire.

By examining Roman imperial changes alongside the works of Greeks living within the empire, this inquiry attempts to understand the various ways the Romans perceived and maintained Hellenic culture before the rise of Christianity in the fourth century, under the rule of Constantine. What it reveals is an empire that was both culturally Greek and imperially Roman.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations

Editions of Quoted Greek and Latin Texts

Introduction                                                                                                                                      1

Chapter 1: Roman Armies                                                                                                             27

Chapter 2: Roman Cities                                                                                                               81

Chapter 3: Roman Law and Administration                                                                                140

Chapter 4: Education                                                                                                                   193

Conclusion                                                                                                                                   236

Bibliography                                                                                                                                250

                                                                              

About this Dissertation

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	History
Degree	Ph.D.
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Classical Studies History, Ancient
Keyword	Late Antiquity
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Jonathan Master , Emory University Judith Evans Grubbs , Emory University
Committee Members	Roxani Margariti, Emory University

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