TY - CHAP ID - 10442/18327 A1 - Antoniadis, V. Y1 - 2021/// T1 - Post-167 BC Romans in Central and Southern Rural Epirus: Analysing a specific settlement pattern JF - Orbis Terrarum VL - 19 SN - 978-3-515-13171-1 PB - Franz Steiner Verlag SP - 11–26EP - UR - https://hdl.handle.net/10442/18327 N2 - Rural sites in Roman Epirus date from the mid-second century BC to the early sixth century AD. The earliest date is established by the aftermath of the battle of Pydna in 168 BC. Sites in Kokytos Valley mark the terminus ante quem for the latest date. This paper offers an overview of the Roman rural sites in central and southern Epirus by focusing mainly on the Late Hellenistic and Early Imperial periods and pays particular attention to the Hellenistic rural sites occupied by the Romans. The author argues that Romans after Pydna had a political agenda in settling in rural Epirus and that this process facilitated their rule in this region. The earliest Roman rural sites, dating from 167 to mid-first century BC, followed a pre-established agricultural and pastoral model. Some of them were easily defensible protected by walls or by natural defences on high and low hills and mountains. This pattern gradually changed from the mid-first century BC to 31 BC with the establishment of wealthy landowners in Epirus. After the foundation of Nicopolis around 29 BC, Augustus transformed the landscape with the centuriation of the Nicopolitan territory. The Romans established all new rural sites south of Nicopolis on a defenceless area without making use of previous structures. This may suggest the beginning of a prosperous era for southern Epirus. ER -