Romanization in the Time of Augustus
Will be published approx. on 28. March 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-0-300-13753-8 (ISBN)
Description
How and why the ancient world eagerly adopted Roman ways
During the lifetime of Augustus (from 63 BCE to AD 14), Roman civilization spread at a remarkable rate throughout the ancient world, influencing such areas as art and architecture, religion, law, local speech, city design, clothing, and leisure and family activities. In this book, Ramsay MacMullen investigates why the adoption of Roman ways was so prevalent during this period.
Drawing largely on archaeological sources, MacMullen discovers that during this period more than half a million Roman veterans were resettled in colonies overseas, and an additional hundred or more urban centers in the provinces took on normal Italian-Roman town constitutions. Great sums of expendable wealth came into the hands of ambitious Roman and local notables, some of which was spent in establishing and advertising Roman ways. MacMullen argues that acculturation of the ancient world was due not to cultural imperialism on the part of the conquerors but to eagerness of imitation among the conquered, and that the Romans were able to respond with surprisingly effective techniques of mass production and standardization.
During the lifetime of Augustus (from 63 BCE to AD 14), Roman civilization spread at a remarkable rate throughout the ancient world, influencing such areas as art and architecture, religion, law, local speech, city design, clothing, and leisure and family activities. In this book, Ramsay MacMullen investigates why the adoption of Roman ways was so prevalent during this period.
Drawing largely on archaeological sources, MacMullen discovers that during this period more than half a million Roman veterans were resettled in colonies overseas, and an additional hundred or more urban centers in the provinces took on normal Italian-Roman town constitutions. Great sums of expendable wealth came into the hands of ambitious Roman and local notables, some of which was spent in establishing and advertising Roman ways. MacMullen argues that acculturation of the ancient world was due not to cultural imperialism on the part of the conquerors but to eagerness of imitation among the conquered, and that the Romans were able to respond with surprisingly effective techniques of mass production and standardization.
Reviews / Votes
"Whereas Romanization is sometimes touched on in other late republican and Augustan studies, MacMullen gives the subject the full treatment that it deserves. Romanization in the Time of Augustus will be of value to all who have a personal or professional interest in Roman civilization."-Randolph H. Lytton, History"Fans of Ramsay MacMullen's prolific output will find in this latest volume all the ingredients of his previous successes. . . . The writing is elegant and lucid. . . . This small book with its large theme is important enough to merit both attention and critical evaluation; and whether it inspires imitation or provokes a creative resistance, the scholarly community is lucky to have it."-Greg Woolf, Journal of Roman Archaeology
"This is a little gem of a book; its scholarship is what we have come to expect from its author, comprehensive and provocative. It is certain to become the starting point for students of the complex historical phenomenon of Romanization."-Journal of Interdisciplinary History
Recipient of Lifetime Award for Scholarly Distinction from the American Historical Association, 2001
"The book is a 'must-buy.' The work is original and important, the scholarship comprehensive, and the style clear and readable."-Colin Wells, Trinity University
"[A] significant contribution to the understanding of what is meant by the term 'Romanization.'"-R. I. Curtis, University of Georgia
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
20 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
345 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-13753-8 (9780300137538)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ramsay MacMullen (1928-2022), a widely regarded historian of Rome and early Christianity, was Dunham Professor Emeritus of History and Classics at Yale University. His many books include Corruption and the Decline of Rome; Roman Social Relations, 50 B.C. to A.D. 284; Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries; Christianizing the Roman Empire; and Voting About God in Early Church Councils.