Imperialism, Power and Identity

by Mattingly, D. J.

• ISBN13: 9780691146058
• ISBN10: 0691146055
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-09-27
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

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 Identityboldly 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from postcolonial studies of modern empires to offer a more nuanced understanding of Roman imperialism.Rejecting outdated notions about Romanization, David Mattingly focuses instead on the concept of identity to reveal a Roman society made up of far-flung populations whose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 Identityadvances a new agenda for classical studies, one that views Roman rule from the perspective of the ruled and not just the rulers.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. ix
List of Tables	p. xiii
Foreword	p. xv
Preface: My Roman Empire	p. xvii
Imperialisms and Colonialisms
From Imperium to Imperialism: Writing the Roman Empire	p. 3
From One Colonialism to Another: Imperialism and the Maghreb	p. 43
Power
Regime Change, Resistance, and Reconstruction: Imperialism Ancient and Modern	p. 75
Power, Sex, and Empire	p. 94
Resources
Ruling Regions, Exploiting Resources	p. 125
Landscapes of Imperialism. Africa: A Landscape of Opportunity?	p. 146
Metals and Metalla: A Roman Copper-Mining Landscape in the Wadi Faynan, Jordan	p. 167
Identity
Identity and Discrepancy	p. 203
Family Values: Art and Power at Ghirza in the Libyan Pre-desert	p. 246
Afterword: Empire Experienced	p. 269
References	p. 277
Index	p. 325
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