Soldiers, cities & civilians in Roman Syria

I'm for now tribunus of the legio IV in Syria, for this reason I looked for some informations about roman army in Syria, and I found some interestings web pages. For exemple, the article from the site:

http://pub45.ezboard.com/fromanarmytalkfrm10.showMessage?topicID=3.topic

Title: Soldiers, cities & civilians in Roman Syria
Author: Nigel Pollard
ISBN: 0-472-11155-8
Publisher: University of Michigan Press. Place and year of publication: Ann Arbor 2000
Number of pages: 349

In this book, based on the author's doctoral dissertation, the impact of the Roman army on Syria, Mesopotamia and Osrhoene is described in various respects. Its three main subjects are the involvement of the eastern Roman army in the towns, the interaction between soldiers and civilians and the economic impact of the Roman army on the eastern provinces.

It examines the continuing close relationship between the army and the cities throughout the empire starting with bases initialy sited in close proximity to urban centres to the development of fortress cities built for both military purposes as well as doubling as civilian urban settlements. In addition it focuses on the diverse relationships between the military and the civilians, both formal and informal. Evidence relating to a wide range of spheres of interaction is carefully considered. The intrusive characteristics of the army and it separate institutional identity in particular are given much attention. Social, legal, cultural, linguistic, religious and economic differences would be factors dividing even locally recruited troops from the civilian population. Regarding the economic impact of the Roman army a number of observations are made that challenge the traditional view of the Roman army as a benefiting provincial economy and stress the burden of the military presence.

The book is well written and researched. The author gives a good account of available evidence and the problems regarding interpretation, displaying necessary caution in drawing conclusions, yet questioning some widely held perceptions regarding the Roman army's role in the Romanisation and as an economic stimulus. The second and third parts of the book treat many subjects of interest and make it a deserving read.

Sander van Dorst

Related reading material

(1) Eastern Roman army and interaction between the military and the civilian population

Alston, R., Soldier and society in Roman Egypt (London 1995) 263p.
Isaac, B., The limits of empire. The Roman army in the East (rev. ed.) (Oxford 1993) 519p.
Kennedy, D., 'The military contribution of Syria to the Roman imperial army' in: D.H. French and C.S. Lightfoot (ed.), Bar(i) 553: The eastern frontier of the Roman empire (Oxford 1989), 235-246.
MacMullen, R., Soldier and civilian in the Later Roman Empire (Cambridge Mass. 1963).

(2) The Roman east

Ball, W., Rome in the East. The transformation of an empire (London 2000) 523p.
Millar, F., The Roman Near East 31BC-AD337 (Cambridge Mass. 1993) 585p.
Stoneman, R., Palmyra and its empire (Ann Arbor 1994) 246p.

Edited by: Sander van Dorst at: 3/21/01 8:03:46 pm