Aegean

The Aegean is the Sea located between Greece and Turkey.
It contains seven Groups of Islands, the North Aegean Islands, the Sporades, the Cyclades, the Saronic Islands, the Dodecanese and the Island of Crete.

Between 166-46 BCE, the region gradually came under the influence of Rome.
Since Antiquity, the Dodecanese had been under the control of Rhodes, and the Rhodian Navy, which the Romans abolished in 46 BCE.
Also since Antiquity, the Cyclades had been controlled by Crete. In 69 BCE Crete was invaded by the Roman Legions.

Rhodes was a powerful Sea Power, based on the Rhodian Navy, between 323-46 BCE.
However, in 167 BCE the Island of Delos in the Cyclades, was given the status of a Free Port with no Harbour or Customs dues, according to Strabo.
Deprived of the trade in Slaves and general Goods, Rhodes was left with the Grain and Wine trade, resulting in its harbour receipts collapsing from 1,000,000 drachmas to 150,000 in one year.
In 164 BCE Rhodes signed a Trade Agreement with Rome regarding the Dodecanese Islands and the Cyclades Islands, that brought the Aegean Sea under Roman Influence.
In 46 BCE the Rhodian Navy was abolished.
In c.79-81 CE Titus created the Provincia Insularum (Province of Islands) meaning the Dodecanese Islands, with Rhodes as the Capital.

The Dodecanese Island chain consists of 12 large islands and 150 smaller islands, controlled since antiquity by Rhodes.
In 164 BCE Rhodes signed a Trade Agreement with Rome, bringing the Islands under Roman Influence.
c.79-81 CE Titus created the Provincia Insularum (Province of Islands) meaning the Dodecanese Islands, with Rhodes as the Capital.
One known Governor of the Provincia Insularum was Plutarchos, who ruled under Julian (361-363 CE)

After 395 CE, the Provincia Insularum was placed under the Eastern Roman Emperor in Constantinople.
The Dodecanese Islands were eventually joined with Crete.
Karpathos was the Capital of the Island of Karpathos, Greece, which is halfway between Crete and Rhodes.
- The Classis Carpathia was created in 390 CE, but there are no surviving records.

This is a Group of 220 Islands surrounding the Island of Delos controlled since Antiquity by Crete.
The most prosperous island was the sacred island of Delos, birth place of Apollo, which was set up by Rome in 166 BCE as a Free Port. Within two years this bankrupted the Rhodian Navy.
In 164 BCE, Rhodes was obliged to sign a Trade Alliance with Rome, bringing the Islands into the Roman Sphere of Influence.
The Cyclades were either assigned to the Province of Asia or Achaea, and later to the Province of Crete.

Rome used the Cyclades as a place of Exile, mainly the Islands of Gyaros, Amorgos, Serifos and Patmos.
Gyaros:
- An Island of the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea, Greece. Considered to be a barren and arid island.

Patmos:
- An Island in the Sporades, in the Aegean Sea, Greece. Exiles were put to Forced Labour in the Mines and Quarries. According to Eusebius, in 95 CE Domitian banished the Apostle John to Patmos where he was inspired to write the Book of Revelation.

The Pirates of Crete controlled Crete during the first and second century BCE.
Rome finally invaded the island in 69 BCE with 3 Legions under Quintus Caecilius Metellus. He took 3 years to subdue Crete. He was awarded the title of ‘Creticus’.

The Aegean Sea