The Roman Empire

Neville Morley

Description

Over a millennium after the end of its unrivalled dominance, the spectre of Rome figures highly in western culture. This book explores what the empire meant to its subjects.



The idea of Rome has long outlived the physical empire that gave it form, and now holds sway over vastly more people and a far greater geographical area than the Romans ever ruled. It continues to shape our understanding of the nature of imperialism and influence the workings of the world. It is through the lens of Rome that we answer questions such as: How do empires grow? How are empires ruled? Do empires exploit their subjects or civilise them? Rejecting the simplistic narrative of military triumph followed by decline and fall, the books analyses the origins of Roman imperialism, its wide-ranging impact on the regions it conquered, and its continuing influence in debates about modern imperialism.
Acknowledgements

Introduction: ‘Empire Without End’

1. ‘Carthage Must Be Destroyed’: The Dynamics of Roman Imperialism

2. ‘They Make a Desert and Call It Peace’: The Nature of Roman Rule

3. ‘The Emporium of the World’: The Economic Impact of Empire

4. ‘They Called it “Civilisation”’: The Dynamics of Cultural Change

Envoi: ‘Decline and Fall’

Further Reading

Index

Sujets

• Post-Colonialism
• Political Science
• Holy Roman Empire
• Colonialism

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 04 juin 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781849645478
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Roman Empire

Roots of Imperialism

Series Editors Reinhard Bernbeck and Susan Pollock, Berlin/Binghamton

This series highlights the relevance of past empires for our contemporary world. It is concerned primarily with the political nature of connections between the past and the present. The approach is radical in that it directs the reader to a recognition of how past empires are theoretically and practically entangled in contemporary imperialist and economically exploitative endeavors. The series sets itself apart from other books on past empires by including the point of view of dependent populations and victims of imperialism, rather than focusing solely on their beneficiaries, the well-known kings and imperators and their material surroundings of monuments and gold. Accordingly, the books devote attention to actions taken by dependent populations in response to imperial politics by giving a historical voice to resistance, subversion, and evasion. The books also investigate the ways in which past empires survive – or, in some instances, are silenced - in present conditions. Residues of the past serve political ideologies in often hidden ways, making them all the more powerful because they are taken for granted. The books reveal imperialist, nationalist, neocolonialist or economic goals of powerholders today who mobilize past imperial figures and structures as well as their material remains to support their own agendas.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Roots of Imperialism

Neville Morley

First published 2010 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

www.plutobooks.com

Distributed in the United States of America exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Copyright © Neville Morley 2010

The right of Neville Morley to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 0 7453 2870 6 ISBN 978 0 7453 2869 0

Hardback Paperback

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data applied for

This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Publishing Services Ltd, 33 Livonia Road, Sidmouth, EX10 9JB, England Typeset from disk by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Printed and bound in the European Union by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne

For Hugh

Contents

Acknowledgements Timeline

Introduction: ‘Empire Without End’ 1 ‘Carthage Must Be Destroyed’: The Dynamics of Roman Imperialism 2 ‘They Make a Desert and Call it Peace’: The Nature of Roman Rule 3 ‘The Emporium of the World’: The Economic Impact of Empire 4 ‘They Called it “Civilisation”’: The Dynamics of Cultural Change Envoi: ‘Decline and Fall’

Further Reading Notes Index

viii ix

1

1

3

7

4

8

0

102 128

136 139 157

Acknowledgements

This book is dedicated to the memory of my uncle, Hugh Chapman, who as an archaeologist and museum curator first inspired my interest in the messy and fragmentary reality of the past, rather than its polished and misleading representation. I have no idea what he might have made of my take on the subject; this is an inadequate substitute for all the conversations that we might have had. As ever, my greatest debt of gratitude is to Anne, for putting up once again with the agonies of book-writing and for helping to pull me through them. I have as always been inspired by the ideas of numerous colleagues, both through conversation and through their publications, and particularly wish to mention Sue Alcock, Richard Alston, Clifford Ando, Catharine Edwards, David Grewal, Richard Hingley, Martin Jehne, David Mattingly, Jörg Rüpke, Nic Terrenato, TimWhitmarshandGregWoolf.IamgratefultotheUniversityof Bristol for a year’s research leave in which to complete the work and to recover from eight years’ worth of faculty administration, to Gillian Clark for moral support, and to everyone on the ’Spill for providing a regular distraction.

viii

Timeline

BCE

754/753: 509:

395: 390: 341, 340–337, 327–304, 298–290: 312: 280–272: 264–241: 227:

219–202: 215–205: 200–196: 197: 192–188: 172–168: 149–146: 146:

120/119: 91–88:

73–71: 58–50: 49:

44: 31: 27: CE

9: 14: 43: 61:

Traditional date of the foundation of Rome Expulsion of the kings and foundation of the Republic The neighbouring city of Veii is captured Rome is sacked by the Gauls

Wars against the Samnites and other Italian tribes Construction of the Via Appia from Rome to Capua War against Tarentum and the Greek king Pyrrhus First Punic War Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia established as Roman provinces Second Punic War First Macedonian War Second Macedonian War Spain becomes a Roman province War against Antiochus of Syria Third Macedonian War Third Punic War War against the Achaean League; Macedonia and Africa established as provinces New province of Gallia Narbonensis A significant number of the Italian allies revolt; the Social War War against Spartacus’ slave revolt Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul Caesar crosses the Rubicon; defeats Pompey at Pharsalus in 48 Assassination of Caesar Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at Actium Octavian becomes Augustus

Three legions ambushed and slaughtered in Germany Death of Augustus Claudius invades Britain Revolt of Boudicca

ix