Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 43 (1) 1–23 Questioning Late Antique prosperity: the case of Lycia (southwest Turkey)1 Kristina Terpoy University of Oxford
[email protected] The concept of a prosperous late antique eastern Mediterranean has become well-established in scholarship. Lycia (Turkey) is considered to be one such prosperous region in particular. This article questions the notion of ‘prosperity’ and its application to the Lycian region and argues that only certain coastal areas experienced what might be considered ‘prosperity’ in this period. Moreover, it is argued that some settlements, specifically those of the interior, did not experience ‘prosperity’, but may have even declined. Thus, a generalized application of ‘prosperity’ should be approached with caution as it masks nuances in the settlement development and economy of micro- regions. Keywords: Lycia; Anatolia; Late Antiquity; historiography; prosperity Introduction In recent years, the concept of a prosperous late antique eastern Mediterranean has become widely established and accepted in scholarship. Thanks to archaeological survey and excavation work, evidence has revealed expanding rural settlement across this broad territory in the period between circa the fourth and seventh centuries.2 1 This article derives from research conducted for my DPhil thesis: K. Terpoy, ‘Mountain and Sea: Settlement and Economy in Late Antique Lycia, Isauria and North Central Anatolia’ (University of Oxford 2018). 2 For example, see contributions in S. Kingsley, M. Decker (eds.), Economy and Exchange in the East Mediterranean During Late Antiquity. Proceedings of a Conference at Somerville College, Oxford - 29th May, 1999 (Oxford 2001); W. Bowden, L. Lavan, C. Machado (eds.), Recent Research on the Late Antique Countryside (Leiden and Boston 2004); L.