This article examines the functions and meanings of akropoleis in Greek antiquity, drawing on references from ancient textual sources from Homer until the second century AD. Despite its rarity in literature and epigraphy, the word ‘akropolis’ carried a wide array of often conflicting connotations throughout antiquity. This study highlights how the symbolic meaning of ‘akropolis’, in parallel with historical developments, developed from an overall marker of civic pride in Classical-period texts to a metaphor of oppressive rule in later literature. While acknowledging local and temporal variation, the study argues for a careful, historically grounded application of the term in scholarship. Ultimately, akropoleis emerge not only as architectural features but as potent cultural signifiers with enduring resonance in the political and philosophical imagination of antiquity.

This paper focuses on Early Roman thin-walled (ThW) pottery from the agora and Fabrika Hill in Nea Paphos, Cyprus. The material was examined macroscopically, and a selection of samples was subjected to elemental analysis (WD-XRF) and thin-section petrography to trace their provenance. The results revealed the presence of local production as well as off-island imports. They also show the low consumption of ThW pottery at the site as well as the dominance of the imports from Asia Minor over local production. These support the interpretation that external cultural influence, although present, had little effect on the islanders, who apparently were conservative in their choice of vessels and practices. The paper thus aims to contribute to a broader scholarly debate on the influence of Roman traditions on local productions and on processes of globalisation in antiquity. Furthermore, it discusses the phenomenon of the production of ThW vessels in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.