The cities of the Greek
East under Roman rule were in competition for status, ever yearning to be
a great metropolis or neokorate of Asia Minor. Having the favor of
Rome and the emperor was essential to success during the second century CE.
Cities in Asia Minor would produce or dedicate monuments to the emperor, or
to the imperial cult, or to any number of things decidedly Roman. In doing
this they would seek to be looked at favorably, and in turn, be rewarded by
Rome.
Rome could easily send an army
to occupy a land, yet it chose not to and still essentially occupied Asia
Minor. Rome used economic leverage to help ease its way into Asia Minor, and
many of Rome's tools will be examined in this section.
"If one considers the
whole empire, he is amazed at the city when he thinks that a fraction of the
world rules over the whole of it." (Aelius Aristides, Regarding Rome,
9)
Benefaction
Trade
Infrastructure
Coinage
Christian Response
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