The Roman Conquest of Cyprus

In 58 BCE, Cyprus, an island rich in natural resources and an ancient stronghold of the Ptolemaic dynasty, was declared the property of the Roman people. The decision was promoted by the tribune P. Clodius Pulcher, who had Cato the Younger appointed as leader of the expedition in charge of confiscating the patrimony of the king of the island. Clodius and Cato shared multiple interests in a crucial area for Roman expansion and formed an unlikely and unexpected partnership.

This talk will investigate how the Romans acquired Cyprus and bolstered the connectivity of its territory, which became part of an extensive commercial and strategic network. By inspecting a rich set of ancient documents, some of which have only been discovered in recent times, we will explore the legal basis, motives, development and effects of the annexation to the Roman world of the largest and most spectacular island of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Associate Professor Lorenzo Calvelli is a lecturer and researcher in the Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice. In 2005, he earned a joint PhD (Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Doctorate Scheme) from the Universities of Venice and Paris Nanterre.

His research interests focus on ancient history and classical epigraphy, the uses of the past, the history of classical scholarship, the study of forgeries, and on the potential of the Digital Humanities. His books include Il tesoro di Cipro. Clodio, Catone e la conquista romana dell’isola (2020). He is in Sydney for the 2023 Latin Summer School on behalf of the Discipline of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Sydney.

Header image: Insularium Illustratum, British Library, Additional MS 15760, ff.47v-48r