Roman Businessmen in Teos

Abstract

Roman businessmen played a significant role in shaping the economic structure of Anatolia through extensive commercial activities starting from the 1st century BCE. The expansion of the Roman Empire’s sphere of influence created broader market opportunities for these businessmen, who gradually integrated into local economies and extended their activities to different regions. Since 2021, excavations conducted in the ancient city of Teos by the faculty members of Ankara University, Faculty of Languages, History, and Geography, Department of Classical Archaeology, have uncovered two new inscriptions. These inscriptions are evaluated in this study as tangible evidence of this commercial expansion. Dating back to the 1st century BCE, these inscriptions document the presence of Roman businessmen in Teos and shed light on their economic activities in the city. While inscriptions previously found in prominent cities such as Ephesus, Smyrna, Klaros, and Pergamon have demonstrated the influence of Roman businessmen in these regions, the newly discovered inscriptions in Teos reveal that the trade associations, known as conventus, had a broader scope than previously assumed. The inscription no. 1, concerns the act of Roman businessmen in Teos honoring the agoranomos Menophantos. This study analyzes the relationship between these businessmen and agoranomos Menophantos, as well as evaluating the structure and functions of the conventus, the organized business communities. Additionally, the study provides an examination of how Roman identity was disseminated at the local level through these businessmen. The new inscriptions from Teos also have the potential to offer a new perspective on the term Ῥωμαῖοι.