A contribution to the study of Lydia in the Early Byzantine period

The aim of the paper is to contribute to the study of Lydia in the Early Byzantine period (fourth–sixth century A.D.) from an historical and geographical viewpoint. Αn historical cross-section will be attempted in order to clarify the administrative situation of the province in the sixth century (source: the Synekdemos of Hierocles). A digital cartographic representation of the historical topography will be created in order to describe and clarify the provincial and regional context. The sources used for the representation of this cultural landscape comprise, among others. the “oldest” cartographic monument of Late antiquity, i.e. the Tabula Peutingeriana and the “newest”, i.e. the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. An accompanying database will be also constructed in order to classify the provincial settlements according to historical – cultural and geographical – spatial criteria. The first set of criteria is related to parameters and variables such as the date of foundation, continuous presence in five historical periods (Archaic – Classical – Hellenistic – Roman – Early Byzantine), ancient and modern place names. The second set of criteria is related to the location of the settlement and uses parameters and variables such as geomorphology, water elements, communication networks, and the presence of a nodal point. The final objective of the paper will be a structured synthesis of knowledge regarding the distinctive features of the settlement network of Lydia and the correlation of this information with the dynamic parts of the system, that is, communication networks and cultural exchanges.