Titolo della tesi: EVOLVING COLLECTIVE IDENTITIES OF THE PEOPLE OF THESSALONIKI DURING THE ROMAN IMPERIAL PERIOD
The objective of this thesis is to examine the cultural elements of Thessaloniki’s society, specifically the architecture, the worship of foreign cults and the composition of the local elite, in order to investigate how the collective identity of the people evolved under Roman influence. And further, how this evolution in collective identity affected the cultural landscape of the city. The period under focus is imperial period, starting from the reign of Augustus until the mid-4th century AD when the rise of Christianity completely changed the social landscape of the city. Thessaloniki is selected as the focus of this study because from the time of its foundation it was a multicultural city, attracting people of various ethnicities due to its favourable location. This character was exemplified during the Roman period when it became one of the most important cities of Greece under the empire. Extensive excavations carried out since the early 1900s have yielded a substantial amount of archaeological evidence to facilitate the study of the mingling of identities in the ancient city and their effect on the evolving cultural landscape.
Considering that this thesis includes the study of both, architectural development and social dynamics, the evidence used is wide-ranging. The study of the architectural developments involves the examining of the urban layout of the city and the various building phases that took place throughout the centuries.
This component of the study also involves the examining of the changing stylistic elements of the buildings. The study of the social dynamics on the other hand is mainly based on the epigraphic finds relating to the cults and the elite of the city. In certain areas where epigraphic evidence falls short, numismatic evidence has been used.