Tommaso Gnoli

Full Professor

Department of History and Cultures

Academic discipline: STAN-01/B Roman History

Research

Keywords: kingship ancient economy history Iran Ravenna Near East Rome religion epigraphy Mithras Syria Palmyra

The study of the oriental provinces of the Roman empire until the Late Antiquity concerning administration, military history, religion, economy, societies etc. Subject of his researches is mainly - but not exclusively - the study of epigraphic and papyrological documents, with special attention to the administrative structures and military units in the provinces Osrhoenae, Mesopotamia, Syria (Coele and Phoenice) and Arabia, also taking into consideration the economies of those regions.
The history and historical geography of the eastern Mediterranean world, and of the Near and Middle East up to the Upper Satrapies of the Seleucid kingdom from the hellenistic to the Julio-Claudian age. Strabo, Isidorus of Charax and Plinius the Elder represent the core subjects. Two broad synthesis were devoted to the political and social history of the Seleucid kingdom as well.
Roman religion specially as far as the concept of "Oriental religions" in Roman paganism is concerned. Particular attention was paid to the mysteric cult of Mithras.
The economic and administrative conditions of the Regio VIII (i.e. Ravenna).
Late Antiquity (IV century).
The history of the navigation and of the sea commerce in the Mediterranean (in particular in the Canal of Sicily and western Sicily) and of the Roman navy, from the archaic age to the Late Antiquity.