Revaluing Roman Cyprus: Local Identity on an Island in Antiquity - Hardcover

by Ersin Hussein (Author)

In Revaluing Roman Cyprus, Ersin Hussein provides a study of local identity formation in Roman Cyprus addresses its traditional characterisation as a weary, uneventful, and insignificant province and champions it as a rich case study for investigations of the Roman Empire. Hussein collates well-known, overlooked, and newly uncovered evidence to revaluate local responses to, and experiences of, Roman rule.

The investigation opens with a look at the island as a real and imagined space to explore its marginalisation in ancient and modern scholarly narratives. Hussein revisits the events surrounding the annexation of the island by Rome from Ptolemaic Egypt and its subsequent administration to establish the dynamics between the inhabitants of the island and their rulers. The spread and impact of Roman citizenship across the island is assessed through an exploration of the strategies employed by individuals to distinguish themselves in local and regional contexts. Hussein examines the poleis of Roman Cyprus, notably the preservation of their myths in literary records and the production of these in the material record, are examined to explore collective identity formation. Roman Cyprus is revealed as an active and dynamic participant in negotiating its identity and status in the Roman Empire. An island was poised between multiple landscapes, Hussein shows how Cyprus maintained deep-rooted
connections between mainland Greece, Egypt, Asia Minor, and the Near East.

Author Biography

Ersin Hussein, Swansea University

Ersin Hussein is an ancient historian currently based at Swansea University. Her research focuses on local identity formation in the conquered territories of the Roman Empire, and in particular the history, society, and culture of ancient Cyprus from the time of its earliest settlers to more recent history. Since joining Swansea, she has worked closely with the university's award-winning museum, The Egypt Centre, to develop object-learning research and teaching initiatives.