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The study of Sicily under the Roman Republic is frequently caught in a vicious circle caused by limited evidence and a Romano-centric perspective. The picture of the island under Roman rule is usually a negative one. However, new perspectives are possible. A survey of Sicilian epigraphic practices highlights patterns during the Republican period suggesting the importance of local elites and civic identity. Moreover, a reconsideration of the taxation system points in the same direction. Combined with other recent studies, this suggests a picture of Roman Sicily in which local elites flourished, enabling communities to negotiate a successful existence under Roman rule.