Affiliation:
1. History, Trinity College
Abstract
Abstract
Delos, a small island amid the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean Sea, was first colonized by Ionians in roughly the tenth century BCE. Throughout antiquity it served as an important cult and commercial center. This chapter examines the role played by Italian merchants and traders on Delos during the Hellenistic period, particularly after Delos was declared a “free” port by the Romans following the Third Macedonian War in 167/6, making it the most important transit point in the Aegean world for about one hundred years. The southern Italians stand out as especially influential residents; their activities in facilitating, financing, and promoting trade with the growing imperial power in Italy were central to the character of the island in this period.