The Roman Near East: 31 BC-AD 337 (Carl Newell Jackson Lectures)

From Augustus to Constantine, the Roman Empire in the Near East expanded step by step, southward to the Red Sea and eastward across the Euphrates to the Tigris. In a remarkable work of interpretive history, Fergus Millar shows us this world as it was forged into the Roman provinces of Syria, Judaea, Arabia, and Mesopotamia. His book conveys the magnificent sweep of history as well as the rich diversity of peoples, religions, and languages that intermingle in the Roman Near East. Against this complex backdrop, Millar explores questions of cultural and religious identity and ethnicity–as aspects of daily life in the classical world and as part of the larger issues they raise.

As Millar traces the advance of Roman control, he gives a lucid picture of Rome's policies and governance over its far-flung empire. He introduces us to major regions of the area and their contrasting communities, bringing out the different strands of culture, communal identity, language, and religious belief in each. The Roman Near East makes it possible to see rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and eventually the origins of Islam against the matrix of societies in which they were formed. Millar's evidence permits us to assess whether the Near East is best seen as a regional variant of Graeco-Roman culture or as in some true sense oriental.

A masterful treatment of a complex period and world, distilling a vast amount of literary, documentary, artistic, and archaeological evidence–always reflecting new findings–this book is sure to become the standard source for anyone interested in the Roman Empire or the history of the Near East.

Table of contents
Frontmatter
Preface
Abbreviations
• Chapter 1 Prologue: In Search of the Orient
• Chapter 2 The Bridgehead and the Dependent Kingdoms, 31 B.C.-A.D. 74
• Chapter 3 Imperialism and Expansion
• Chapter 4 Rome and Mesopotamia: From Parthia to Persia
• Chapter 5 The Tetrarchy and Constantine
• Chapter 6 Communal and Cultural Identities
• Chapter 7 The Tetrapolis and Northern Syria
• Chapter 8 The Phoenician Coast and Its Hinterland
• Chapter 9 Eastern Syria Phoenice: Mountain, Oasis and Steppe
• Chapter 10 From Judaea to Syria Palaestina
• Chapter 11 Arabia
• Chapter 12 The Euphrates and Mesopotamia
• Chapter 13 Epilogue: East and West
Appendix A. The Inscriptions of the Tetrarchic Land-Surveyors
Appendix B. Documents form the Bar Kochba War
Appendix C. Materials for the History of Roman Edessa and Osrhoene, AD 163-337
Maps
General Index
Index of Literary Sources
Index of Documents