Roman Palmyra
Subtitle: identity, community, and state formation
By: Andrew M. Smith II
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 293
ISBN-13: 9780199861101
Subjects: Politics and government; Political culture; Community life; Social change; Group identity; Social conditions; Identity (Psychology); Nationalism; History
Description: In social, economic, and cultural terms, the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire was vastly complex, which has fueled considerable debate among scholars concerning the nature of the interactions between Romans and natives in the Near East. Notions of imperialism, specifically "cultural" imperialism, frame much of the debate. Through a detailed analysis of Palmyrene identity and community formation, Andrew M. Smith II presents a social and political history of Roman Palmyra, the oasis city situated deep in the Syrian Desert midway between Damascus and the Euphrates river. This city-state is unique in the ancient world, since it began as a humble community, probably no more than an isolated village, and grew - due in part to its role in the caravan trade - into an economically powerful, cosmopolitan urban center of Graeco-Roman character that operated outside of Roman rule, yet under Roman patronage.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Framing the Narrative; title: Tribes and Tribalism; title: The Growth of Community; title: Mapping Social Identities; title: The Civic Institutions of Palmyra; title: The Palmyrene Diaspora; title: The Palmyrene Empire : A Crisis of Identity; title: Retrospect and Broader Implications.