Publication Date
10-2-2024
Abstract
The Roman Empire is often credited with being highly culturally influential both in its time and in later cultural contexts. However, the cultural aspects of art, politics, militarism, etc. for which the Roman Empire is known are the result of interactions between the imperial regime and external entities. The history of the Roman Empire is well documented, but few historians have analyzed the role of conquered cultures and foreign parties on the cultural evolution of Rome. To address these overlooked dynamics between existing cultural groups and their influences on each other, I explore the concepts of ethnicity and framework provided by Issawi (1989) for cultural imprinting in Imperial Rome. After examining scholarship surrounding specific aspects of culture (economics, religion, and politics), I argue that the culture of the Roman Empire was a culmination of Roman creation and influence from provincial and external cultures. These findings highlight the contribution to popular culture from cultural groups with less recognition and fame than their counterparts, and we must apply these findings to modern times in order to emphasize the fluctuating dynamics of domination and submission in the current geopolitical sphere.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Hailey
(2024)
"Cultural Imperialism in the Roman Empire: a Give and Take Relationship between Imperial Rome and Provincial/External Cultures,"
Venture: The University of Mississippi Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 6, Article 11.
Available at:
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umurjournal/vol6/iss1/11
