Description
STRATEGIC USE OF MEMORY AND COMMEMORATION IN ROMAN PATRAS When the city of Patras was colonized under Augustus, radical changes were implemented in its society, on the political, economic, religious, and social levels: Roman rule was installed, the territory of the city was massively enlarged, thousands of newcomers were moved to the city, and new cults were introduced. These and other interventions led to the disruption of the existing social structure, which must have created unrest, but also opened up opportunities for individual gain as a new social hierarchy had to be established. Local traditions, memory and commemoration played a vital role in the process of reaching a new status quo, of becoming a Roman colony in the world of Greece. References to, as well as erasure of, the past were employed as a strategic tool in both the political and the social arena. I demonstrate this from two different perspectives: first I illustrate how Augustus used religious traditions and local myths in order to justify Roman rule over the area, and to strengthen the ties between himself and the colonial society of Patras. Second, I discuss how the migrant community used their tombs, not only as the focal point for private commemoration where their own traditions were observed, but also – perhaps as much so – as a medium in the struggle for social prominence. What these cases have in common, is that they serve as excellent examples of how memory and commemoration can serve a strategic purpose in the formation of a colonial society.| Period | 19-Oct-2016 → 21-Oct-2016 |
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| Event title | Strategies of Remembrance in Greece under Rome |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Athens, GreeceShow on map |