Ancient World Seminar: The Roman Atlantic and the Boundaries of the 'Colonial'

Abstract

Organised on behalf of the Colonisation CRASIS Network, this lecture by Professor Nicolas Purcell will explore the historiographical and spatial complexities of Roman expansion in the Atlantic and its implications for understanding ancient colonialism. Full abstract to follow.

About the Speaker

Professor Nicolas Purcell is Camden Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Brasenose College. He is widely recognised as one of the leading scholars in Roman social, economic, and environmental history. His work explores the interconnectedness of the ancient Mediterranean world, with a particular focus on urbanism, landscape, infrastructure, and the dynamics of empire.

Professor Purcell is co-author (with Peregrine Horden) of the influential volume The Corrupting Sea: A Study of Mediterranean History, which has reshaped scholarly understanding of the Mediterranean as a coherent historical region defined by its networks and micro-regional diversity. His research continues to inspire interdisciplinary approaches to the ancient world, combining archaeology, history, and environmental studies to offer new perspectives on connectivity and regional integration.