Prosopography of well-known families in the Lycian and Pamphylian cities in the Roman Period

IV PROSOPOGRAPHY OF WELL- KNOWN FAMILIES IN THE LYCIAN AND PAMPHYLIAN CITIES IN THE ROMAN PERIOD The Roman Imperial Period from the very beginning had almost become a turning point socially, politically and economically for the Anatolian cities too. Merchants, publicani (tax collectors), veterani (retired soldiers) were among the Roman citizens of Italic origin who came to the Anatolian cities as peregrini (foreigners). These people who cut their connections with Italy and married the local families gained soon political and economical power and played a significant role in the city administration. Some of them even had matrimonial relations with some of the royal families subject to the Roman Empire. The influence of the newcomers who had the Roman citizenship, and the economical support of the local prominent families was used by the Roman Empire for her imperialistic interests. Some privileges, like Roman citizenship, provided to these new families in order to avoid disorder among the people of the cities, made them ancillary propagandists of the Roman system. Beginning from the first century A. D. some members of these families were even received to the Equestrian and Senatorial Order which were generally exclusive of the people from the provinces. Finally they had a mighty role on top of the Empire. There were many families in Lycia and Pamphylia like the ones described above. On the other hand there were also families who had no Roman citizenship. Nevertheless, they kept their local elite position and held the most important magistracies both in their own cities and in the provinces. They contributed much to the construction works of their cities and set up games and distributed money to the people as a consequence of which the people of the city could perfectly participate in the social life. The origin, relations and economical sources of these families and their political careers and activities in the cities and provinces are studied in this thesis in the light of the epigraphical material of the Roman Period in the Lycian and Pamphylian cities.