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Romanization (cultural)
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- Romanization may also refer to linguistics; see Romanization.
Romanization was a gradual process of cultural assimilation, in which the conquered "barbarians" (non-Greco-Romans) gradually adopted and largely replaced their own native culture (which in many cases were quite developed, like the culture of Carthage and of the Gauls) with the culture of their conquerors - the Romans. The acculturation proceeded from the top down, the upper classes adopting Roman culture first and the old ways lingering longest in outlying districts among peasants; the identification of countryfolk as pagani is discussed at paganism.
Questions Over Validity of Concept
In recent years historians like Greg Woolf have questioned the extent to which Romanization is a useful analytical concept. Woolf sees Romanization as reliant upon the arbitrary allocation of labels such as Roman and Native to various cultural and material elements with little or no firm reasoning to do so. Such thinkers are critical of the dominance Haverfield's The Romanization of Roman Britain have had over the subject and believe it is time for archeological and historical discourse to move on.
Process of Romanization
It was a slow and gradual process, taking several decades.
First, it began with the military conquest itself. Many times the Romans were invited by local rulers, who either:
- had been expelled by rivals from inside the tribe or city-state and wanted to return home and to their position.
- were being conquered by another tribe and subjugated themselves to Rome, as long as Roman troops came to "save" them.
- left their kingdoms to Rome by will (for example Attalus III of Pergamon).
Other times the Romans did not have such excuses and began a conquest because of internal reasons or because they simply wanted to expand their empire.
After the conquest:
- many warriors of the defeated and hostile enemy would be dead and others would be sold as slaves.
- any tribal chieftain or local city-ruler who was friendly and cooperated with Rome was reaffirmed in his position and was rewarded with land and loot from a defeated hostile tribe or hostile state.
- the local nobility was many times rewarded with Roman citizenship and simple bribes in a (largely successful) attempt to gain their loyalty.
- a series of military outposts were built.
- some Roman legions were stationed in strategic positions.
- roads would also be built, linking the nascent military colonies to each other, to the frontiers and to Rome.
- these roads had the triple effect of:
- facilitating any movement of the Roman legions.
- facilitating communications.
- reinforcing the transport of people, goods and ideas (in effect trade).
- in due time, several Roman veterans would be discharged and were rewarded with previously confiscated patches of land in the local area.
- these veterans would either:
- bring their sweetheart from "back home".
- marry a native girl, thereby intermarrying with the local population.
- meanwhile, local warriors would enlist in the Roman military as Auxilia (somewhat similar to the modern French Foreign Legion) and at the end of their military service would also be rewarded with Roman citizenship. During their service they would certainly learn Latin and adopt, to a certain extent, Roman culture.
- the local rulers and the local nobility would "improve" their property (e.g. their house), "themselves" and more importantly, their children following Roman fashions, ideals and traditions. They would go to a local Roman school in a nearby Roman colony or, dependent on their wealth, have a Greek and/or a Roman tutor(s) who would give them Roman education and also impart them with Roman culture.
- Roman temples would be built and many local gods were assimilated with corresponding Roman gods, others survived and "conquered" the Romans themselves. This process was greatly facilitated by the ready adoption of the local gods by the Romans. One has to remember that most of cultures in that time were Polytheists (worshipers of many gods). An average Roman might not worship an Egyptian god like Amun (the average Egyptian would) he would worship Jupiter (the Egyptian wouldn't), but he would readily accept and believe in the existence of Amun (vice-versa for the Egyptian).
- in a later stage of the Roman Empire some of these temples were dedicated to the Divine Emperor. There, loyal citizens would worship the reigning emperor and show their respect to past emperors in a display of loyalty to the Roman Empire and the Emperor, in a fashion very roughly similar to the modern Oath of allegiance.
Results of Romanization
all this slowly culminated in many gradual cultural developments:
- adoption of Roman names.
- gradual adoption of the Latin language. This process was greatly facilitated by the simple fact that many cultures were mostly illiterate (particularly the Gauls and Iberians) and anyone who wanted to deal (through writing) with the bureaucracy or with the roman market was forced to write in Latin. The extent of this adoption is subject to on-going debate, as the native tongues were certainly spoken after any conquest. Moreover, in the eastern half of the empire, Latin had to compete with Greek which largely kept its position as lingua franca and even spread to new areas. Latin became prominent in certain areas around new veteran colonies like Berytus.
- replacement of the ancient tribal laws by Roman law, with its institutions of property rights.
- the dissemination of typically Roman institutions such as public baths, the Emperor cult and gladiator fights.
In due time, the conquered would see themselves as Romans.
This process was supported by the Roman Republic and by its successor the Roman Empire.
The entire process was facilitated by the fact that many of the local languages had the same Indo-European origin and by the similarity of the gods of many ancient cultures. They also already had had trade relations and contacts with each other through the seafaring Mediterranean cultures like the Phoenicians and the Greeks.
Romanization was largely effective in the western half of the empire, where native civilizations were weaker. In the Hellenized east, ancient civilizations like those of Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Judea and Syria, effectively resisted all but its most superficial effects. The most Romanized regions of the empire were Italy, the Iberian peninsula, Gaul, Dalmatia and Dacia. Romanization in some of these regions remains a powerful cultural influence, particularly in those cultures generally described as Latin, in which Romance languages derived from Latin are spoken.
See also
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