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We shall attempt to make a historiographical assessment and reflect on the relationship between the Roman Empire and Hellenism. Recent research -which is richly varied- reveals how vital it is to define the concepts in question as accurately as possible, the notions of Imperialism, Hellenism, Romanity, Romanization. The study of Roman Greece once was somehow neglected but things have changed as the recent studies clearly demonstrate. The question of Greek identity and that of the loyalty of the Greeks to Rome and to the Emperor as much as that of integration have been brought to the forefront. The philhellenic policies of Roman rulers have been investigated -likewise the access to Roman citizenship ; furthermore onomastic and prosoprographic studies highlight the efficient processes that developed under the Empire. The status of the Greek city within the Empire, its working and the role of its civic élites are perceived with more and more accuracy as they are being reassessed.