Session: #88

Regular session

Over the past few decades, a considerable dialogue between archaeologists, classicists and ancient historians has taken place on the impact of Roman imperialism in the ancient and contemporary worlds. This dialogue has, however, primarily concentrated on the territories of the former Empire itself, leaving much to consider regarding other contexts. Although the continent of North America is geographically distant from the Roman Empire, ideologically it became closely entangled from the moment the ‘New World’ was invented in the minds of Europeans and classical parallels play a significant role in the processes and practices of colonization. This entanglement continues to the present day, with frequent (and conflicting) comparisons made between the United States and the Roman Empire, particularly during the Trump presidency. We therefore consider it long past due for a better understanding of the use of Roman frontier concepts in the colonization of the New World, focusing in this instance on the 16th century onwards. We invite papers on themes such as the impact of ideas of ‘the frontier’ in developing North American perceptions of space and territory, of the use of Classical place names in North American territory, of the creation of plantations, colonies and forts as a means of colonization and control, and any other relevant themes linking Roman imperialism to the colonization of North America.

Roman Empire, Roman Imperialism, North America, Roman Frontiers, Colonization

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Emily Hanscam (Sweden) ¹

Richard Hingley (United Kingdom) ²