Submissions are invited to the panel on Roman foreign relations at the upcoming Celtic Conference in Classics (Maynooth University, 14-17 July 2026):

Cooperate, contain, confront. Roman Foreign Relations from the Mid-Republic to the late Empire (3rd century BC-5th century AD

From the third century BC on, the Roman Republic came to dominate the political landscape of the ancient Mediterranean and beyond. Rapid, unprecedented expansion was followed by the erection of an empire that would last for centuries. This process transformed both Rome and its political practices as well as the world around it: on the one hand, Roman authorities had to develop strategies to maintain rule in vastly heterogeneous regions, on the other hand, political actors engaging with Rome had to find the right course between cooperating, containing or confronting this new global player (Wendt 2008, Burton 2011, Fibinger Bang 2015, Wilker 2022).

Various historical examples illustrate the wide array of possibilities in how to deal with the Romans. The Attalids of Pergamon demonstrate that amicitia with Rome and loyal support in war could result in enormous territorial rewards, which saved the Romans immense military and administrative costs (Nelson / Pezzini / Rebeggiani 2025). At the other end of the spectrum, the Chatti in Germania chose permanent hostility to the empire and yet survived several wars – not least since subduing them would have meant even greater expenses for Rome (Will 1987, 55–58; Bleckmann 2009, 146–154). A particular case is Parthia/Sassanid Persia, the only external power that could match Rome – a situation that led to both exhaustive wars over control of the Near East and extended periods of accepted coexistence (Schlude 2020; Edwell 2021; Andres 2022).

Meanwhile, the dynamics of Judaea exemplify how difficult it was for allied rulers to strike the right path between loyalty and service to Rome on the one side and appeasing their own subjects and preserving a degree of autonomy on the other side (Baltrusch 2012; Wilker 2022). For the Romans, choosing the most adequate persons to govern as ‘client princes’ was sometimes equally challenging (Baltrusch/Wilker 2015; Coşkun 2008). In Late Antiquity, migration and so-called ‘barbarian’ incursions challenged Roman hegemony, giving the newcomers the opportunity to carve out their own realms (Heather 2001). The Vandals, for instance, had to carefully negotiate their relationship with the Western Roman Empire over decades before finally being able to establish their own kingdom in North Africa by force (Steinacher 2016).

Recent scholarship has seen a growing interest in Roman diplomacy, treaties and the role of the amici populi Romani (Burton 2011; Ish-Shalom 2021; Hartmann / Schleicher / Stickler 2022; Sánchez 2024; Gieseke 2026). We seek to go beyond a dichotomy between peace and war, allies and enemies, to establish a wider scope of practices and ideas within Roman foreign relations. Accordingly, the panel explores the diverse modes of contact between Rome and its neighbours as much as the individual actors and their options and restrictions within the field of foreign affairs. The contributions should aim to debate questions around the following topics: Successful cooperation with Rome, the role of appointed ‘client kings’, warfare against imperial Rome, raids and migration into the empire, depiction of foreign peoples in literary texts and other sources, practices of accommodating and distancing in Roman foreign affairs, forms of communication beyond war and peace and their possible failure.
Some lines of research may include:

-Which diplomatic, political, military and economic strategies and opportunities emerged from Roman imperialism?
-To what extent did literary texts, inscriptions, coins etc. portray foreign actors and their role in imperial affairs? (Woolf 2011; Maas 2025)
-How precarious was the situation of minor rulers allied to Rome, especially during the imperial period, and how did they try to navigate these challenges?
-How useful are concepts like those of cultural/political brokers or the middle ground to describe the role of dependent and allied rulers between Rome and their own subjects? (Paine 1971; Hoffmann-Salz 2021)
-On which levels did Roman foreign policy influence the transformation of the empire and its neighbours (in Late Antiquity)?
-Which general developments in the area of Roman foreign affairs can be traced from the mid-Republic to the Late Empire?

1.  Individual presentations should be in English, French, German or Italian and 20-25 minutes long (online presentations may be considered). Participation in person is mandatory.
2.  Contributions from researchers at all career stages are welcome; the conference is equally open to doctoral students, early-career researchers, and established academics. We especially encourage early career researchers to participate and are aiming for parity in gender.
3.  The contributions are planned to be published in an edited volume. Further details will be provided after the conference.
4.  Abstracts of 150-300 words in PDF or Word should be sent to Julian Gieseke ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) and/or Malte Speich ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) until 15 February 2026. Please make sure to use the official CCC proposal template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kslTkXTnXTjfF7MKaClBD7MBE0n449MqExy8DfMII84/edit?tab=t.0

Confirmed keynotes:

Prof. Julia Wilker (Pennsylvania)

Prof. Peter Fibiger Bang (Copenhagen)

Confirmed speakers:

Dr. Julian Gieseke (Bielefeld)
Malte Speich (Bielefeld)
Dr. Rebecca Kreßner (Münster)
Florian Feil (Trier)