The Limits of Empire The Roman Army in the East [Paperback]

For more than seven centuries most of the Near East was part of the Roman empire. Yet no work exists which explores the means by which an ancient power originating in the western Mediterranean could control such a vast and distant region. What was the impact of the army presence on the population of the provinces? How did Rome respond to the challenge posed by the desert and its nomadic population? Isaac here offers answers to these questions in the first comprehensive treatment of the Roman military presence in the Near East. Using both well-known and neglected sources, he reassesses the means by which Rome achieved and maintained its control over the region. His study, now revised and updated to reflect recent research findings, casts new light on an important issue which has far-reaching implications for the understanding of ancient and modern imperialism.

Abbreviations; Introduction; Rome and Persia; Consolidation and internal unrest; The army of the principate: An army of occupation; The army of the fourth century; Enemies and allies after Septimus Severus; Army and civilians in the East; The military function of Roman veteran colonies;Urbanization; Frontier policy - Grand strategy?; Epilogue; Appendices; Bibliography; Maps; Index

Praise for the first edition: His book is where to start looking for information and bibliography about individual sites and their relation to other sites. --Classical World

A readable and stimulating synthesis. --International History Review

Has original ideas which no student of the Roman Empire can neglect. --Classical Review

Immensely impressive. --Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Praise for the first edition: Magnificent....Students ignore it at their peril. --Times Literary Supplement