| Summary: | <p>Following the Roman occupation in 67 BC, Crete underwent several transformations in its societal and economic structures. The island's transition into the Empire changed the shape of the cultural landscape of Crete, both in its interior and coasts. The new administrative system, in combination with the end of endemic warfare and the vast exploitation of the sea, liberated the island from its hostile past by shaping its new ‘Imperial’ identity.</p>
<p>This thesis examines the different dynamics and mechanisms that transformed Crete’s Maritime Cultural Landscape (MCL) in Imperial times (1st c. BC – 3rd c. AD) and the sea's undisputed role in the island's overall prosperity. As part of this endeavour, my research focuses on a number of case studies in order to identify the circumstances under which several harbour sites developed, expanded, and became the new commercial centres of the island. Furthermore, the production of a new dataset of information about Cretan shipwrecks and their cargoes is presented, which constitutes the first attempt to gather evidence of all known Roman shipwrecks from the island. This study constitutes the first comprehensive overview of ports and shipwrecks from Crete, much of which is based on primary data collection and analysis. It also provides a significant insight into the role and importance of the sea in the gradual transformation and development of the Cretan economy and society following the island's transition from the Hellenistic to the sphere of the expansive Roman world.</p>
<p>In order to accurately reconstruct the MCL of Crete, a comprehensive analysis of the island's trading patterns was conducted. Special attention is given to the various scales of interactions that emerged among the Cretan poleis and harbours, as well as the interactions with external regions involved in maritime trade. Such an interpretation aims to show the extent to which the new conditions affected the ports, by gradually turning them into administrative and commercial centres. By applying different methodological approaches and cognitive hermeneutical tools to each chapter, a series of new hypotheses concerning the economy and society of Crete are formulated, leading the thesis into its final discussion, the MCL.</p>
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