BMCR 2009.07.71: Coloru on Derks, Ethnic Constructs in Antiquity: The Role of Power and Tradition. Amsterdam Archaeological Studies 13

Ton Derks, Nico Roymans (ed.), Ethnic Constructs in Antiquity: The Role
of Power and Tradition. Amsterdam Archaeological Studies 13.
Amsterdam:  Amsterdam University Press, 2009.  Pp. 368.  ISBN
9789089640789.  $65.00.

Reviewed by Omar Coloru, Universita\ di Pisa ([email protected])
Word count:  2551 words
-------------------------------
To read a print-formatted version of this review, see
http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2009/2009-07-71.html
To comment on this review, see
http://www.bmcreview.org/2009/07/20090771.html
-------------------------------

[Authors and titles are listed at the end of the review.]

This book is a collection of thirteen studies on ethnicity in the
period ranging from Archaic Greece to Early Medieval Western Europe.
The essays presented in this volume are the result of two meetings held
in 2001 (VU University Amsterdam) and 2004 (Museum Het Valkhof at
Nijmegen) respectively, in the framework of the research programme
entitled The Batavians. Ethnic identity in a frontier situation. The
starting point from which all the authors undertake their research is
the view of ethnicity as a mutable, subjective construct adopted by
groups and communities for various purposes. Actually, the aim of the
volume, as stated by the editors, is to show that ethnic identity is a
phenomenon "often related to questions of power, religion, law, class
and gender" (p.1). Although sometimes miscellany volumes may present an
uneven quality in the papers, it must be pointed out that in this
particular case we met up with a remarkable exception, characterized by
very good works each presented in a homogeneous structure of
sub-headings and final conclusions that makes them easy to follow for
readers.

The book, dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dick Whittaker (who passed
away shortly before the volume to which he had contributed could be
published), opens with a useful introduction by the editors, where the
main issues and conclusions which come out from each contribution are
briefly resumed displaying not only the points of agreement between
authors, but also the differences in their opinions and approaches, in
order to stimulate further discussion amongst the readers. The core
issue on which the contributors differ is the question whether
ethnicity can be reconstructed through the analysis of material culture
or not. Most of the authors seem to agree with Jonathan Hall's
opinion[[1]] that it is impossible to reconstruct the ethnic identity
of societies that have not left any written source, while others are
more optimistic.

In her learned study, Catherine Morgan focuses on ethnicity in the
early archaic Greek mainland, a period and an area where written
records are limited, so that data from material culture are thought to
play an important role as a means of expression of ethnic identity. She
begins by analysing the western colonial world, a choice justified by
the fact that both the regions experienced long-term interconnections
that prevent them from being treated as separate entities. Morgan
points out that colonies "redefine themselves in relation to their
Greek and native neighbours as well to as their mainland geographical,
political and ethnic heritage" (p.13). Corinth and Achaia more
generally, for example, had interacted with the Corinthian Gulf area,
the Ionian Islands and Italy well before the beginning of the
colonization in the 8th century. Morgan, therefore, sets the foundation
of new settlements, together with a series of experiences brought by
the Corinthians and Achaians to the colonists, into a long continuity
of exchanges. Morgan then moves on to a survey of the recent
scholarship on early Greek ethnicity and its developments, discussing
in particular Hall's view and expressing her criticism of it: that, on
the one hand, it could lead one to think that ethnicity cannot be
studied in the Greek world before the introduction of alphabetical
writing, and that, on the other hand, it would exclude from the
analysis a consistent part of the population with limited or no writing
skills. Concentrating research on habitus, i.e., material culture
considered as an expression of a particular lifestyle, and showing that
political communities were interdependent entities makes it possible to
predict "points of tension where identity would be likely to have
become a particularly important issue" (p. 29) and allows one to "move
beyond the adoption of alphabetic writing to examine the longer term
history of identity construction" (ibid.).

Jan Paul Crielaard studies the origin, development and changing of the
ethnonym  "Ionian", with special attention to the construction of the
ethnic identity of the "East Ionians" who settled along the coastal
area between the Hermos and the Maiandros rivers, and the islands of
Samos and Chios. He examines literary sources comparing them with
archaeological data in order to estimate when and how "Ionian"
traditions and foundation myths were invented. The East Ionians' case
is interesting because of their proximity and interactions not only
with other Greek populations like Dorians and Aiolians, but also with
non-Greek elements like Lydians and Karians. Moreover, we must add
Egyptian and Near-eastern influences, as East Ionians served as
mercenaries in those areas, while contacts with the Mediterranean and
the Black Sea world were also frequent thanks to trade. Ethnic identity
of the East Ionians turns out to have been soft and permeable towards
other cultures, at least until the Persian invasion that represented
the real point of no return for the creation of a Greek identity as a
"sense of separateness, self-awareness and superiority" (p. 73).

The aim of Hans-Joachim Gehrke's original essay is to show that the
concept of Intentional history, i.e., ethnic construction of collective
identities, is applicable not only to ancient societies but also to the
construction of European traditions. The victory at Marathon allowed
Greek identity to be associated with freedom for the first time. With
time it was used to serve purposes differing from the original ones. In
Athens it was seen as a historical extension of mythical fights against
barbarians and monsters in order to reinforce Athens' role as defender
of the Hellenes. The myth of Marathon was taken on again by the
Attalids and brought to bear upon their victories over the Galatians;
emperor Gordian III used it during his campaign against the Sassanians
who were considered the new threat to the Greco-Roman world. Finally,
in modern times Marathon has become a symbol of the battle for western
civilization and values.

Bert van der Spek brings us to Hellenistic Babylon, illustrating the
relationships between the autochthonous population and the new
Greco-Macedonian colonists. Babylon had an age-old familiarity with
multi-ethnicity. Under Seleucid rule, however, cuneiform tablets attest
to a sort of apartheid status at a political level, where the local
community appears to be separated from that of the colonists.
Nevertheless, reality might have been more fluid, and it is unlikely
that the two groups lived in ghettos divided by a wall. Possibly a
stable Greek community was introduced only during the reign of
Antiochus IV. Greek culture flourished as well as political
institutions. Just to mention some examples, astronomical diaries let
us know the existence of the peliganes, i.e. the members of the
Macedonian elder council, and the politai, a term that designated the
citizens belonging to the Greek community which held its assembly in
the theatre of Babylon. On the other hand, Babylonian institutions
remained vital too, and the central government communicated with both
Babylonian and Greek authorities.

The essay by Karl Strobel explores the effects of the invasion of the
Galatian tribes on Central Anatolia and the continuity of Galatian
ethnic identity and historical traditions under Roman rule. Special
emphasis is given to the survival of the Celtic language (spoken
alongside Greek) until Late Antiquity, a fact that is considered an
important sign of the strength of identity within this group. Evidence
of that can be seen either in local onomastic or in religious
traditions: in this regard it is interesting to note that the
foundations of ancient Anatolian towns (Ankyra) and shrines (Pessinus
and Tavium) are attributed to the Galatians by the literary tradition.

Douwe Yntema offers an interesting analysis of the objects found in the
Mesagne (Brindisi) burial (around 170 BC), trying to give a possible
picture of the ethnic identity of the deceased. Yntema examines
material culture and literary sources, paying particular attention to
the case of another famous fellow-countryman of the dead, the poet
Ennius, who used to say he had three identities: Apulian, Greek and
Roman. According to Yntema's hypothesis, the man of the Mesagne burial
could represent a good parallel.

Nicole Belayche studies the foundation myths of Roman Palestine towns.
The creation of the province of Syria-Palestina in the 1st century AD
and the Jewish diaspora produced favourable conditions to strengthen
the status of pagan populations. At this time, many cities claimed
divine origins to integrate themselves within the Greco-Roman world.
Old towns with a long tradition in Greek mythology simply kept using
their figures, while Roman colonies, with the single exception of Aelia
Capitolina, generally stuck by their own traditions using Roman
foundation myths only to enhance their political status. In this
context, Greek myths could also be grafted onto both local Semitic and
Roman traditions. Finally, cities like Scythopolis defined their
origins via Greek models as a means of distinction from the
neighbouring Jewish population.

The essay by Dick Whittaker deals with ethnicity on the frontiers of
Roman Africa. Whittaker draws our attention to the considerable number
of tribes recorded in Africa Proconsularis by ancient authors (516
populi according to Pliny the Elder) and by inscriptions, noting that
"little attempt has been made to comprehend African ethnicity in terms
of historical contingency and context-based identity" (p. 191). Roman
frontiers in general created two types of ethnicity, one in reaction to
Roman power, the other in association with it, thanks to the enrolment
of nomads in military units as auxiliaries. The concluding part of the
essay is dedicated to the analysis of Romanization, as an ethnic term.
It appears to have promoted the (re)discovery of identity amongst the
nomads, which was employed to define their ethnic alterity, but did not
lead to the creation of physical or cultural barriers. Whittaker
expresses his doubts on the possibility of studying ethnicity via
material culture saying that "being or becoming Roman cannot be
measured by cultural change but by political integration" (p. 202).

Greg Woolf takes the Frisian Revolt of 28 AD as a starting point for
examining Roman ethnography about Germania. Classical authors
interested in describing history and culture of other people sought
information from mediators who were already part of two worlds.
Ethnographic knowledge, far from being  a product "of internal Greek
and Roman discourse" (p. 215),  was instead created on the middle
ground through the encounter between local people (familiar with Roman
culture and education) who reported their traditions in a Greek or
Roman fashion and ancient ethnographers who brought with them their own
store of preconceived notions.

In his study, Nico Roymans analyzes the importance of the cult of
Hercules for Batavian integration into the Roman Empire. Communities
conquered by the Romans needed to redefine their identity by linking it
to Greco-Roman mythology. Roymans points out that myths of Trojan
descent, in association with worship of Mars, were generally spread in
several cities of Gaul and possibly Britannia, but Hercules was a more
popular god along the lower Rhine frontier. Thanks to a syncretistic
process, local gods were assimilated to Roman deities allowing
non-Roman communities a "new kinship bond while keeping their local
identity" (p. 223). The cult of Hercules Magusanus provided the
Batavians with this link and at the same time represented a strong
factor of cohesion amongst the members of this quite recent ethnic
group.

Ton Derks offers an up-to-date inventory of inscriptions mentioning
Batavians, with the aim of studying Batavian image and self-image. He
believes in the great potential of epigraphy to convey "subjective
feelings of belonging" (p. 240). Data shows that, even if the Batavian
community ceased to exist in the late 3rd century AD, the denomination
of this group was still used in some auxiliary units in the late 5th
century. Collective acts of worship by soldiers belonging to the same
ethnic context (but serving in mixed units) and funerary inscriptions
give a prominent value to ethnicity, but it appears to be imperceptible
in documents recording everyday life aspects, as suggested by the
Vindolanda tablets. Nevertheless, feelings of ethnic difference can be
pinpointed when interacting with the social context of a fort through
"subjectively selected details of cultural practices, such as horse
riding" (p. 256). We quickly list some major issues: the ethnic
'Batavian' was used only abroad; the terms natione and domo indicate a
strong ethnic identity; the use of  civis and civitas are rare amongst
Batavians, probably because of their strong military imprint. In fact,
they continued using tribal affiliation even after the grant of Roman
citizenship, perhaps because of the positive qualities (e.g. strength,
bravery) associated with their tribal name.

Frans Theuws studies the possibility of finding a relationship between
specific burial rites and ethnic identity in Late Antique Northern
Gaul. The presence of weapons such as axes, lances, bows and arrows in
4th to 5th century burials from this area was generally interpreted as
a symbol of the Germanic origin of the deceased. Theuws convincingly
overturns this view, putting forward the hypothesis that these burial
goods can refer to hunting as a sign of prestige, control of landscape,
virtue but also in the sense of overcoming death. This burial ritual
should be linked to new claims on land by local families mostly not
belonging to the elites, but willing "to create an ancestor to
perpetuate the family's claims" (p. 314).

Finally, Jos Bazelmans provides a detailed survey on the continuity of
the use of the ethnic "Frisians" by groups who settled in the Northern
and Western Netherlands from the first century AD to the early Middle
Ages. This unusual persistence caused many scholars to believe that the
inhabitants of that area had kept calling themselves Frisians for many
generations. However, new data from archaeology have revealed a hiatus
in populations along the coastal area of the Netherlands during the
Late Antiquity. Bazelmans thinks that the Frisian name was reintroduced
by the Frankish elite, who had access to classical knowledge, when
organizing the northern frontiers of the empire.

A few minor misprints do not interfere with the overall quality of this
work.

In conclusion, the volume represents a welcome contribution to the
studies on ethnicity both for its multidisciplinary approach and for
providing grounds for reflection on this stimulating issue.

Table of Contents

Ton Derks-Nico Roymans, "Introduction", 1

Catherine Morgan, "Ethnic expression on the Early Iron Age and Early
Archaic Greek mainland. Where should we be looking?", 11

Jan Paul Crielaard, "The Ionians in the Archaic period. Shifting
identities in a changing world", 37

Hans-Joachim Gehrke, "From Athenian identity to European ethnicity. The
cultural biography of the myth of Marathon", 85

Bert van der Spek, "Multi-ethnicity and ethnic segregation in
Hellenistic Babylon", 101

Karl Strobel, "The Galatians in the Roman Empire. Historical tradition
and ethnic identity in Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor", 117

Douwe Yntema, "Material culture and plural identity in early Roman
Southern Italy", 145
Nicole Belayche, "Foundation myths in Roman Palestine. Traditions and
reworking", 167

Dick Whittaker, "Ethnic discourses on the frontiers of Roman Africa",
189

Greg Woolf, "Cruptorix and his kind. Talking ethnicity on the middle
ground", 207

Nico Roymans, "Hercules and the construction of a Batavian identity in
the context of the Roman empire", 219

Ton Derks, "Ethnic identity in the Roman frontier. The epigraphy of
Batavi and other Lower Rhine tribes", 239

Frans Theuws, "Grave goods, ethnicity, and the rhetoric of burial rites
in Late Antique Northern Gaul", 283

Jos Bazelmans, "The early-medieval use of ethnic names from classical
antiquity. The case of the Frisians", 321

Index of names and places, 339

List of contributors, 343


------------------
Notes:


1.   Jonathan Hall, Hellenicity. Between ethnicity and culture,
Chicago/London 2002, p. 24.