Veni, Vidi, Vici, Dixi: Latin as the Dominant Language in the Roman Near East

Abstract

Syria becoming a consular province by 58 BCE marked the beginning of the Roman period of the Near East, and as a result, Latin was introduced as the language of the East’s rulers to a linguistic landscape dominated by native Aramaic and Greek as a lingua franca. However, scholarly research has focused more on Greek’s relationship with Latin and Aramaic than Latin and Aramaic’s relationship with each other. Latin was never enforced or widely spoken in the Near East compared to Aramaic or Greek, yet that does not mean Latin had no impact on the region. This study analyzes bilingual Latin and Aramaic inscriptions in the Near East using sociolinguistic theory surrounding language contact and dominance, revealing meaningful language contact between Latin and Aramaic speakers. The presence of Aramaic-Latin bilingualism, Latin’s higher prestige, and the influence of the Roman army on the Aramaic lexicon in light of linguistic theory asserts that Latin impacted the Near East at a linguistic level due to Latin’s role as the dominant language despite Latin initially appearing to be uninfluential in the Near East. By positioning Latin as the dominant language in relation to Aramaic, this research challenges the notion of a lack of meaningful language contact between these groups, and aims to encourage further research into lesser-discussed linguistic dynamics.