“Becoming a Roman”: Anatolians in the imperial Roman navy

Abstract

Although much has been written concerning the Roman army and its legions and auxiliary regiments, far less is available and accessible regarding the nature and role of the Roman navy1. This is especially true with regard to the origins and other associated matters of those men who served in this force, a lacuna this article seeks to redress to some extent by focusing on those members of the Imperial Roman Navy certainly or probably recruited from the Anatolian provinces. However, to place this study into context, Part I provides an overview of the origins and nature of the Imperial Roman Navy, a subject likely to be unfamiliar to most readers of this journal, and so an essential prelude to Part II, which details what is known of those certain or probable natives of the Anatolian provinces who served in this force as provided by the evidence of the epigraphic sources available, these being presented in summary form in Part III.