Framing the narrative -- Tribes and tribalism -- The growth of community -- Mapping social identities -- The civic institutions of Palmyra -- The Palmyrene diaspora -- The Palmyrene Empire : a crisis of identity -- Retrospect and broader implications
Summary
In social, economic, and cultural terms, the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire was vastly complex, which has fueled considerable debate among scholars concerning the nature of the interactions between Romans and natives in the Near East. Through a detailed analysis of Palmyrene identity and community formation, Andrew M. Smith II presents a social and political history of Roman Palmyra, the oasis city situated deep in the Syrian Desert midway between Damascus and the Euphrates river
