Imperialism, Power, and Identity
Experiencing the Roman Empire
Reeks: Miriam S. Balmuth Lectures in Ancient History and Archaeology
David J. Mattingly
- Despite
- what
- history
- has
- taught
- us
- about
- imperialism's
- destructive
- effects
- on
- colonial
- societies,
- many
- classicists
- continue
- to
- emphasize
- disproportionately
- the
- civilizing
- and
- assimilative
- nature
- of
- the
- Roman
- Empire
- and
- to
- hold
- a
- generally
- favorable
- view
- of
- Rome's
- impact
- on
- its
- subject
- peoples.
- Imperialism,
- Power,
- and
- Identity
- boldly
- challenges
- this
- view
- using
- insights
- from
- postcolonial
- studies
- of
- modern
- empires
- to
- offer
- a
- more
- nuanced
- understanding
- of
- Roman
- imperialism.Rejecting
- outdated
- notions
- about
- Romanization,
- David
- Mattingly
- focuses
- instead
- on
- the
- concept
- of
- identity
- to
- reveal
- a
- Roman
- society
- made
- up
- of
- far-flung
- populations
- whose
- experience
- of
- empire
- varied
- enormously.
- He
- examines
- the
- nature
- of
- power
- in
- Rome
- and
- the
- means
- by
- which
- the
- Roman
- state
- exploited
- the
- natural,
- mercantile,
- and
- human
- resources
- within
- its
- frontiers.
- Mattingly
- draws
- on
- his
- own
- archaeological
- work
- in
- Britain,
- Jordan,
- and
- North
- Africa
- and
- covers
- a
- broad
- range
- of
- topics,
- including
- sexual
- relations
- and
- violence;
- census-taking
- and
- taxation;
- mining
- and
- pollution;
- land
- and
- labor;
- and
- art
- and
- iconography.
- He
- shows
- how
- the
- lives
- of
- those
- under
- Rome's
- dominion
- were
- challenged,
- enhanced,
- or
- destroyed
- by
- the
- empire's
- power,
- and
- in
- doing
- so
- he
- redefines
- the
- meaning
- and
- significance
- of
- Rome
- in
- today's
- debates
- about
- globalization,
- power,
- and
- empire.Imperialism,
- Power,
- and
- Identity
- advances
- a
- new
- agenda
- for
- classical
- studies,
- one
- that
- views
- Roman
- rule
- from
- the
- perspective
- of
- the
- ruled
- and
- not
- just
- the
- rulers.In
- a
- new
- preface,
- Mattingly
- reflects
- on
- some
- of
- the
- reactions
- prompted
- by
- the
- initial
- publication
- of
- the book.
