Open AccessEPINIKIA: Celebrating Roman Victory in the Eastern Provinces of the Empire*
Author(s) -
Blanco-Pérez
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
tyche
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.107
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2409-5540
pISSN - 1010-9161
DOI - 10.15661/tyche.2018.30.01
Subject(s) - victory , friendship , reciprocity (cultural anthropology) , loyalty , ancient history , roman empire , history , sign (mathematics) , perspective (graphical) , empire , classics , art , political science , sociology , law , social science , visual arts , politics , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Across the eastern Mediterranean only a limited number of inscriptions, coins and papyri attest the term ἐπιν(ε)ίκια bestowed on local festivities. My paper studies for the first time the genesis and evolution of a particular title that could be presented as a sign of loyalty and friendship towards Roman rule. Through an analysis of mostly direct evidence, I aim to provide the perspective of certain local communities which, while subjected to Rome, remarkably strove to celebrate its victories. This bottom-up approach also seeks to show the importance of reciprocity in the constant diplomatic exchange between emperors, administrators and eastern provincials.