Public Spectacles in Roman and Late Antique Palestine


Book Description

Wishing to ingratiate himself with Rome, Herod the Great built theaters, amphitheaters, and hippodromes to bring pagan entertainments of all sorts to Palestine. Zeev Weiss explores how the indigenous Jewish and Christian populations responded, as both spectators and performers, to these cultural imports, which left a lasting imprint on the region.




A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284-641


Book Description

The Second Edition of A History of the Later Roman Empire features extensive revisions and updates to the highly-acclaimed, sweeping historical survey of the Roman Empire from the accession of Diocletian in AD 284 to the death of Heraclius in 641. Features a revised narrative of the political history that shaped the late Roman Empire Includes extensive changes to the chapters on regional history, especially those relating to Asia Minor and Egypt Offers a renewed evaluation of the decline of the empire in the later sixth and seventh centuries Places a larger emphasis on the military deficiencies, collapse of state finances, and role of bubonic plague throughout the Europe in Rome’s decline Includes systematic updates to the bibliography




Athletes and Artists in the Roman Empire


Book Description

This is the first comprehensive study of the associations of athletes and artists in the Roman empire. The xystic synod of athletes and the thymelic synod of artists were the only ancient associations that operated on a pan-Mediterranean scale. They were active from southern Gaul to Syria and Egypt and were therefore styled 'ecumenical synods'. They played a key role in Greek festival culture during the imperial period: not only did they defend the professional interests of their members, they also contributed to the organisation of competitions and the maintenance of the festival network. Due to their cultural activities, their connections with the imperial court and their ramified social networks, they left a distinctive stamp on Greco-Roman elite culture during the Principate. Drawing on all available documentation, this book offers new insights into the history and workings of these remarkable associations.




Greek Cities and Roman Governors


Book Description

This volume uses the travels of Roman governors to explore how authority was defined in and by the public places of Greek cities. By demonstrating that the places where imperial officials and local notables met were integral to the strategies by which they communicated with one another, Greek Cities and Roman Governors sheds new light on the significance of civic space in the Roman provinces. It also presents a fresh perspective on the monumental cityscapes of Roman Asia Minor, epicenter of the greatest building boom in classical history. Though of special interest to scholars and students of Roman Asia Minor, Greek Cities and Roman Governors offers broad insights into Roman imperialism and the ancient city.




Work, Labour, and Professions in the Roman World


Book Description

The economic success of the Roman Empire was unparalleled in the West until the early modern period. While favourable natural conditions, capital accumulation, technology and political stability all contributed to this, economic performance ultimately depended on the ability to mobilize, train and co-ordinate human work efforts. In Work, Labour, and Professions in the Roman World, the authors discuss new insights, ideas and interpretations on the role of labour and human resources in the Roman economy. They study the various ways in which work was mobilised and organised and how these processes were regulated. Work as a production factor, however, is not the exclusive focus of this volume. Throughout the chapters, the contributors also provide an analysis of work as a social and cultural phenomenon in Ancient Rome.




The City in Roman and Byzantine Egypt


Book Description

For those wishing to study the Roman city in Egypt, the archaeological record is poorer than that of many other provinces. Yet the large number of surviving texts allows us to reconstruct the social lives of Egyptians to an extent undreamt of elsewhere. We are not, therefore, limited to a history of the public faces of cities, their inscriptions, and the writings of their elites, but can begin to understand what the transformations of the city meant for ordinary people, and to uncover the forces that shaped the everyday lives of city dwellers. After Egypt became part of the Roman Empire in 30 BC, Classical and then Christian influences both made their mark on the urban environment. This book examines the impact of these new cultures at every level of Egyptian society. The result is a new and fascinating insight into the creation of a specific urban society in the Roman Empire, as well as a case study for the model of urban development in antiquity.




A Companion to Sport and Spectacle in Greek and Roman Antiquity


Book Description

A Companion to Sport and Spectacle in Greek and Roman Antiquity presents a series of essays that apply a socio-historical perspective to myriad aspects of ancient sport and spectacle. Covers the Bronze Age to the Byzantine Empire Includes contributions from a range of international scholars with various Classical antiquity specialties Goes beyond the usual concentrations on Olympia and Rome to examine sport in cities and territories throughout the Mediterranean basin Features a variety of illustrations, maps, end-of-chapter references, internal cross-referencing, and a detailed index to increase accessibility and assist researchers




The Archaeology of Late Antique 'Paganism'


Book Description

There is no agreement over how to name the 'pagan' cults of late antiquity. Clearly they were more diverse than this Christian label suggests, but also exhibited tendencies towards monotheism and internal changes which makes it difficult to describe them as 'traditional cults'. This volume, which includes two extensive bibliographic essays, considers the decline of urban temples alongside the varying evolution of other focii of cult practice and identity. The papers reveal great regional diversity in the development of late antique paganism, and suggest that the time has come to abandon a single compelling narrative of 'the end of the temples' based on legal sources and literary accounts. Although temple destructions are attested, in some regions the end of paganism was both gradual and untraumatic, with more co-existence with Christianity than one might have expected. Contributors are Javier Arce, Béatrice Caseau, Georgios Deligiannakis, Koen Demarsin, Jitse H.F. Dijkstra, Demetrios Eliopoulos, James Gerrard, Penelope J. Goodman, David Gwynn, Luke Lavan, Michael Mulryan, Helen G. Saradi, Eberhard W. Sauer, Gareth Sears, Peter Talloen, Peter Van Nuffelen and Lies Vercauteren.




From Rome to Byzantium AD 363 to 565


Book Description

A. D. Lee charts the significant developments which marked the transformation of Ancient Rome into medieval Byzantium.