Writing Latin in Roman Greece
This study explores the use of the Latin language in the area of the Roman province of Achaia based on epigraphic evidence. The period under consideration spans from the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE. While the adoption of Greek culture by the Romans has been extensively studied, less attention has been paid to the role of Latin in the Greek context from an epigraphic perspective, especially with regard to a broad area such as the Roman province of Achaia. Through a series of targeted case studies, namely Delphi, Delos, Athens, Corinth, and Patras, this work highlights both similarities and differences in the use of Latin in the different centres, focusing on the political, local, and self-representational factors behind linguistic choices, as well as on the relationship with the local Greek context. The relationship with the Greek language was considered both in terms of bilingualism and bilingual phenomena, and in contrast to the choice of Latin. The analysis of the epigraphic evidence reveals local variation, the influence of Roman colonisation, and the continuing predominance of Greek in many private and local contexts, unveiling a complex picture of "asymmetrical" multilingualism within the Roman province of Achaia.