The centuries of Roman rule represented the longest period of peace that Lesbos ever experienced. However, the island's integration into the broader administrative structures of the empire and, later, the developments that marked the emergence of the Byzantine state brought about radical changes in society and culture.

If in the 1st century BC, political life was shaped by prominent benefactors who secured privileges for the cities from their Roman friends, by the 6th century AD, power had shifted into the hands of Christian bishops who built temples instead of theaters and actively participated in the theological disputes of late antiquity.

Based on primary sources - literary, epigraphic, and archaeological - and international literature, A. Kaldellis examines the conditions that dictated these changes. The Roman system of governance brought significant cultural transformations, such as the establishment of oligarchy and benefaction, the worship of the emperor, and the acceptance of Roman political identity.

A detailed analysis follows of the sources concerning Early Christian Lesbos, where many heresies prevailed and numerous churches were built. Nevertheless, the new religion gained dominance on the island significantly later than in other parts of the Roman world.