Abstract:
Traditional scholarly approaches to the ‘Samnites’ have, by and large, unquestioningly accepted the cultural model offered by the authors of our extant ancient sources which have cast them as the ‘rural barbarian.’ Transformation and change in Samnite regions are explained not through the achievements of these local groups, but through the interactions of Rome with them – in terms of Rome’s expansion throughout Italy. Such approaches are rooted in preconditioned notions of ‘Roman’ versus ‘local,’ and rely on ‘colonial’ and ‘Western’ frameworks which favour the Roman imperial narrative. The systemic exclusion of People of Colour, women, and other groups from the conversations in Roman Republic studies has led to an insular academic discussion where dominant narratives have relied on traditional Eurocentric understandings of ‘Roman imperialism.’ Recent developments in scholarship have attempted to reassert the agency of local groups in their relationships with Rome, and have introduced concepts such as ‘migration,’ ‘connectivity,’ and ‘elite networks’ in an attempt to offset the power imbalance presented in traditional conceptions of Central and Southern Italy during the period of the Republic. These concepts have, however, been limited in their application to groups like ‘the Samnites,’ and have been deployed in areas (like Roman Britain) where ‘native’ populations have pushed back due to their dominant place within academia. This study will expose the way in which the scholarship has continued to perpetuate ancient tropes which have ‘Othered’ the Samnites. The material evidence will be presented from the case study sites of Monte Pallano (Pietrabbondante and Fontecampana) and Larinum in order to demonstrate how pervasive colonial attitudes are regarding Samnium and the Samnites. This thesis argues that more can be learned about this group if we apply a different lens to our study of them.