Sertorius, the Exiles of the Sullan Regime and the Provinces of the Empire

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The political struggle that reshaped the Roman Republic in the 70s BCE is reinterpreted here from a new perspective. The analysis argues that the followers of Q. Sertorius forged a coherent movement for political reform that actively challenged the Sullan regime across several Roman provinces, including Hispania Ulterior, Hispania Citerior, and Asia. By integrating literary, epigraphic, numismatic, and archaeological evidence, the study reconstructs the political discourse developed by this group of exiles engaged in a Republican civil war. A central focus lies on the Sertorian glandes inscriptae, inscribed lead slingshots from Hispania bearing formulas such as Q. Sertorius proconsul on the obverse and values including ius, pietas, fides, veritas, and spes, alongside symbols such as fasces, palm branches, anchors, and rudders. These messages reveal a shared vocabulary of legality, moral authority, and imperial projection of power. Through this material, the book demonstrates the existence of two competing Republics, one ruled by the Sullani, the other by the Sertorians, contesting hegemony across the Mediterranean basin. It will appeal to scholars of Roman civil wars, provincial history, political language and symbolism, as well as material culture.

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