The Roman expansion viewed from the margins

Abstract:

Discussions on Roman imperialism have focused on the earliest phases of the process in 4^th-3^rd century-BCE Italy. Due to the fragmentary nature of the sources, it is difficult to understand how the early Roman expansion was perceived, especially by those more exposed to its brutal and exclusionary side, such as the semi/non-urbanized communities described as Samnites in Greco-Roman accounts. Although the extant sources are late and Rome-centred, they can nonetheless be used to delineate aspects of how so-called Samnites might have perceived their own subordination. It will be argued that these historical agents may have maintained a strong and perhaps anachronistic self-perception of independence.

Keywords:
Roman expansion; Ancient historiography; Marginalization