Frontiers of the Roman Empire

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Succinct analysis and detailed case-studies, based on recent archaeological research, are the basis of this social and economic study of the Roman Imperial frontiers. It examines the concept of "frontier" within the Roman Empire, from the first century AD to the sixth, suggesting that it was a fuzzy set of interlocking zones - political, military, judicial and financial. Elton focuses on how the frontier worked and how it affected life for all those in the frontier zone, not just the Roman army. Each chapter outlines a major problem and illustrates it with examples from different regions and periods. The text examines the key features and periods of the Roman Empire in the light of the most recent archaeological research. The author includes an analysis of the acquisition of the empire and the ways in which it was ruled, and also relationships with allied kingdoms. Finally, he highlights the central importance of trade by special consideration of Palmyra.

Reviews

'This is a very readable and stimulating book that carefully analyzes historical, epigraphic, and archaeological sources. It provides a fresh approach to life on the edge that should be welcomed by any student of the forces that shaped the Roman world.' - Minerva

Author Bio

Having taken his D. Phil at Oxford, Hugh Elton is currently at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut. He is co-editor of Fifth-Century Gaul: a Crisis of Identity and the author of Warfare in Roman Europe.