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Roman Palmyra: Identity, Community, and State Formation
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. Notions of imperialism, specifically "cultural" imperialism, frame much of the debate. 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. This city-state is unique in the ancient world, since it began as a humble community, probably no more than an isolated village, and grew--due in part to its role in the caravan trade--into an economically powerful, cosmopolitan urban center of Graeco-Roman character that operated outside of Roman rule, yet under Roman patronage. The book therefore focuses on two aspects of Palmyrene civilization during the first three centuries of the Common Era: the emergence and subsequent development of Palmyra as a commercial and political center in the desert frontier between Rome and Parthia (and later Persia), and the "making" of Palmyrenes. This study is thus concerned with the creation, structure, and maintenance of Palmyrene identity and that of Palmyra as an urban community in a volatile frontier zone. The history of Palmyra's communal development would be wholly obscure were it not for the archaeological and epigraphic materials that testify to Palmyrene achievements and prosperity at home and abroad. These, complemented by the literary evidence, also provide insight into the relatively obscure historical process of sedentarization and of the relationships between pastoral and sedentary communities in the Roman Near East. In addition to examining Palmyra as a frontier community, the book will move beyond Syria to explore the development and maintenance of Palmyrene identity in diaspora settings in Italy, north Africa, and Europe. This study is thus concerned with the creation, structure, and maintenance of Palmyrene identity and that of Palmyra as an urban community in a volatile frontier zone.
- GenresHistoryRoman History
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 20, 2019
Palmyra, I won't deny that the horrid state of affairs that has affected the archaeological site has inspired me to grab this book from the library shelves and give it a read, a read I regrettable have to call disappointing. It's not that the book is bad or badly written; but rather it is a book for specialists. With its extensive source material avidly discussed in text and impressive bibliography Smith eagerly challenges preexisting notions and assumptions, not only on Palmyra itself but the general application of several theories.
Smith eagerly tackles and applies to the Palmyran context the concepts of identity, community formation, frontier studies, Romanisation, Hybridness and fluidity in culture. He also picks up on the classic narrative of bands-tribes-cities linear progression but argues that, in Palmyra at least, the nomad tribes of Arab culture and the sedentary elites integrated in the Roman cultural sphere were not antagonistic towards one another as is often described of relations between nomads and sedentary or city and hinterland. For Smith Palmyra is more then a mere city, but a polis in the classic Greek sense that included a participative and protected by rights rural area. His Palmyra is city and region but even more so a unique identity and sense of belonging, brought forth by its location in between two empires (romand/parthian) as a place of refuge from the harsh desert, a spiritual center and trade nod that provided wealth in material and cultural sense for those that became part of it. All of this resulted in city that balanced being roman and of Arab descent to meld into Palmyran.
Having said all that I do have to talk about what I did not like. First of all at the start of his book he expresses clearly that this will not be about Zenobia and the Palmyran empire. Fine but then at the end there is a chapter of like 8 pages on said empire. What point does that serve? It almost felt like at the end he felt like he had to add it on but it does not meld quite right. I felt little that I read before contributed to his commentary of the Zenobia episode. It does not help either that he barely touches upon the reason for the disappearance of Palmyra as an identity marker, the book rather leaves it abruptly at; the sasssanids did not look as kindly to the Palmyrans as did the parthians before and the impact of the war and ultimate siege of the city by the romans.
As a reader and especially one that is not an academic or involved in museum work, the book is not a pleasant read, it is dense with reference and comments on source material, admits many segments that lacks adequate evidence and is very careful in taking positions. All of which makes for a good academic book, but not a book to read for the mildly curious reader or those interested in learning more about Palmyra but do not get exited about all the background knowledge displayed and discussed here.
So all and all I would recommend experts and those who work with one of the tackled theories to pick up and read, but as one of those who is neither; the book did not give me a lot for the effort.
Smith eagerly tackles and applies to the Palmyran context the concepts of identity, community formation, frontier studies, Romanisation, Hybridness and fluidity in culture. He also picks up on the classic narrative of bands-tribes-cities linear progression but argues that, in Palmyra at least, the nomad tribes of Arab culture and the sedentary elites integrated in the Roman cultural sphere were not antagonistic towards one another as is often described of relations between nomads and sedentary or city and hinterland. For Smith Palmyra is more then a mere city, but a polis in the classic Greek sense that included a participative and protected by rights rural area. His Palmyra is city and region but even more so a unique identity and sense of belonging, brought forth by its location in between two empires (romand/parthian) as a place of refuge from the harsh desert, a spiritual center and trade nod that provided wealth in material and cultural sense for those that became part of it. All of this resulted in city that balanced being roman and of Arab descent to meld into Palmyran.
Having said all that I do have to talk about what I did not like. First of all at the start of his book he expresses clearly that this will not be about Zenobia and the Palmyran empire. Fine but then at the end there is a chapter of like 8 pages on said empire. What point does that serve? It almost felt like at the end he felt like he had to add it on but it does not meld quite right. I felt little that I read before contributed to his commentary of the Zenobia episode. It does not help either that he barely touches upon the reason for the disappearance of Palmyra as an identity marker, the book rather leaves it abruptly at; the sasssanids did not look as kindly to the Palmyrans as did the parthians before and the impact of the war and ultimate siege of the city by the romans.
As a reader and especially one that is not an academic or involved in museum work, the book is not a pleasant read, it is dense with reference and comments on source material, admits many segments that lacks adequate evidence and is very careful in taking positions. All of which makes for a good academic book, but not a book to read for the mildly curious reader or those interested in learning more about Palmyra but do not get exited about all the background knowledge displayed and discussed here.
So all and all I would recommend experts and those who work with one of the tackled theories to pick up and read, but as one of those who is neither; the book did not give me a lot for the effort.
August 19, 2016
The ancient Palmyra: A rich culture lost in the desert
This is a well-organized book that discusses the ancient history of Palmyra located in Syria. In 2015, this city drew considerable attention due to the destruction of its historic strictures by the Islamic State.
The author discusses several key issues related to the growth and development of Palmyra which includes; growth of the local tribes, tribal and family structure, urban development, the city and countryside, Palmyra as a religious and economic center, mapping social identities, the civic institutions, the military, trade and foreign services. This is a short focused book, well researched and readable. Helps one to understand the current situation in Palmyra from a historical perspective.
A brief summary of the book is as follows: Palmyra is well known for the ancient Temple of Bel also known as the Temple of Baal. This was consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol. This ancient city formed the center of religious life in Palmyra since 32 A.D. At the height of its prosperity, the population in the region may have reached around 150,000 to 200,000 in second century A.D. But the city population may have been from 40,000 to 60,000 people. Palmyra attracted large number of migrants from nearby regions for its shared religious association and the economic opportunity. In the early days, Palmyrenes had formed an expansive commercial and social network that extended from Rome to South Asia. They were buying exotic goods from India such as silk, aromatics, and spices and reselling them to Romans. For almost three centuries, Palmyrenes never lost their cultural integrity and distinctiveness. The Roman Empire progressively increased their influence on Palmyra from the first century A.D. In the third century A.D. Palmyra became a Roman city and brought into Roman provincial network. It was granted the institutional status of colonia. The historic monuments and structures at Palmyra withstood the ravages of war during Roman Era, invasions from Parthian Empire and Persians. Yet it retained its cultural identity for 2000 years, but it did not withstand the onslaught of Islamic militants. The region had become Islamic during the first millennia when much of the Arabic tribes in the Middle East became Islamic. Although the region was active from 32 B.C to the end of third century A.D. The archeological evidence does not show any influence of early Christianity on Palmyrenes although Palmyra was only about 250 miles from Jerusalem.
The ruins of Palmyra were considered best among the preserved monuments and structures until they were destroyed by the Islamic State in August 2015. In a push of ethnic and religious cleansing, the cultural diversity and religious tolerance that once stood for nearly two thousand years in Syria were annihilated.
This book includes many pictures of the ancient city; the plan of city of Palmyra, the aerial picture of the city covering all the ancient architectural ruins, and the temple of god Bel; the Great Colonnade, the sanctuary of Bel in the temple precinct, sanctuary of Baalshamin, the temple of Allat and the Great Colonnade leading to the temple of Bel, the monumental arch of the colonnade, aerial view of the Valley of Tombs, various assortments of Palmyrene tesserae that includes a priest of god Bel. My favorite pictures are the aerial shots of the ancient city; they are simply spectacular. All the pictures in this book are black and white; I wished they were in color. But the color pictures are available online, just Google search or look in Pinterest, there are many great pictures of the ruins of Palmyra.
This is a well-organized book that discusses the ancient history of Palmyra located in Syria. In 2015, this city drew considerable attention due to the destruction of its historic strictures by the Islamic State.
The author discusses several key issues related to the growth and development of Palmyra which includes; growth of the local tribes, tribal and family structure, urban development, the city and countryside, Palmyra as a religious and economic center, mapping social identities, the civic institutions, the military, trade and foreign services. This is a short focused book, well researched and readable. Helps one to understand the current situation in Palmyra from a historical perspective.
A brief summary of the book is as follows: Palmyra is well known for the ancient Temple of Bel also known as the Temple of Baal. This was consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol. This ancient city formed the center of religious life in Palmyra since 32 A.D. At the height of its prosperity, the population in the region may have reached around 150,000 to 200,000 in second century A.D. But the city population may have been from 40,000 to 60,000 people. Palmyra attracted large number of migrants from nearby regions for its shared religious association and the economic opportunity. In the early days, Palmyrenes had formed an expansive commercial and social network that extended from Rome to South Asia. They were buying exotic goods from India such as silk, aromatics, and spices and reselling them to Romans. For almost three centuries, Palmyrenes never lost their cultural integrity and distinctiveness. The Roman Empire progressively increased their influence on Palmyra from the first century A.D. In the third century A.D. Palmyra became a Roman city and brought into Roman provincial network. It was granted the institutional status of colonia. The historic monuments and structures at Palmyra withstood the ravages of war during Roman Era, invasions from Parthian Empire and Persians. Yet it retained its cultural identity for 2000 years, but it did not withstand the onslaught of Islamic militants. The region had become Islamic during the first millennia when much of the Arabic tribes in the Middle East became Islamic. Although the region was active from 32 B.C to the end of third century A.D. The archeological evidence does not show any influence of early Christianity on Palmyrenes although Palmyra was only about 250 miles from Jerusalem.
The ruins of Palmyra were considered best among the preserved monuments and structures until they were destroyed by the Islamic State in August 2015. In a push of ethnic and religious cleansing, the cultural diversity and religious tolerance that once stood for nearly two thousand years in Syria were annihilated.
This book includes many pictures of the ancient city; the plan of city of Palmyra, the aerial picture of the city covering all the ancient architectural ruins, and the temple of god Bel; the Great Colonnade, the sanctuary of Bel in the temple precinct, sanctuary of Baalshamin, the temple of Allat and the Great Colonnade leading to the temple of Bel, the monumental arch of the colonnade, aerial view of the Valley of Tombs, various assortments of Palmyrene tesserae that includes a priest of god Bel. My favorite pictures are the aerial shots of the ancient city; they are simply spectacular. All the pictures in this book are black and white; I wished they were in color. But the color pictures are available online, just Google search or look in Pinterest, there are many great pictures of the ruins of Palmyra.
August 19, 2016
The ancient Palmyra: A rich culture lost in the desert
This is a well-organized book that discusses the ancient history of Palmyra located in Syria. In 2015, this city drew considerable attention due to the destruction of its historic strictures by the Islamic State.
The author discusses several key issues related to the growth and development of Palmyra which includes; growth of the local tribes, tribal and family structure, urban development, the city and countryside, Palmyra as a religious and economic center, mapping social identities, the civic institutions, the military, trade and foreign services. This is a short focused book, well researched and readable. Helps one to understand the current situation in Palmyra from a historical perspective.
A brief summary of the book is as follows: Palmyra is well known for the ancient Temple of Bel also known as the Temple of Baal. This was consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol. This ancient city formed the center of religious life in Palmyra since 32 A.D. At the height of its prosperity, the population in the region may have reached around 150,000 to 200,000 in second century A.D. But the city population may have been from 40,000 to 60,000 people. Palmyra attracted large number of migrants from nearby regions for its shared religious association and the economic opportunity. In the early days, Palmyrenes had formed an expansive commercial and social network that extended from Rome to South Asia. They were buying exotic goods from India such as silk, aromatics, and spices and reselling them to Romans. For almost three centuries, Palmyrenes never lost their cultural integrity and distinctiveness. The Roman Empire progressively increased their influence on Palmyra from the first century A.D. In the third century A.D. Palmyra became a Roman city and brought into Roman provincial network. It was granted the institutional status of colonia. The historic monuments and structures at Palmyra withstood the ravages of war during Roman Era, invasions from Parthian Empire and Persians. Yet it retained its cultural identity for 2000 years, but it did not withstand the onslaught of Islamic militants. The region had become Islamic during the first millennia when much of the Arabic tribes in the Middle East became Islamic. Although the region was active from 32 B.C to the end of third century A.D. The archeological evidence does not show any influence of early Christianity on Palmyrenes although Palmyra was only about 250 miles from Jerusalem.
The ruins of Palmyra were considered best among the preserved monuments and structures until they were destroyed by the Islamic State in August 2015. In a push of ethnic and religious cleansing, the cultural diversity and religious tolerance that once stood for nearly two thousand years in Syria were annihilated.
This book includes many pictures of the ancient city; the plan of city of Palmyra, the aerial picture of the city covering all the ancient architectural ruins, and the temple of god Bel; the Great Colonnade, the sanctuary of Bel in the temple precinct, sanctuary of Baalshamin, the temple of Allat and the Great Colonnade leading to the temple of Bel, the monumental arch of the colonnade, aerial view of the Valley of Tombs, various assortments of Palmyrene tesserae that includes a priest of god Bel. My favorite pictures are the aerial shots of the ancient city; they are simply spectacular. All the pictures in this book are black and white; I wished they were in color. But the color pictures are available online, just Google search or look in Pinterest, there are many great pictures of the ruins of Palmyra.
This is a well-organized book that discusses the ancient history of Palmyra located in Syria. In 2015, this city drew considerable attention due to the destruction of its historic strictures by the Islamic State.
The author discusses several key issues related to the growth and development of Palmyra which includes; growth of the local tribes, tribal and family structure, urban development, the city and countryside, Palmyra as a religious and economic center, mapping social identities, the civic institutions, the military, trade and foreign services. This is a short focused book, well researched and readable. Helps one to understand the current situation in Palmyra from a historical perspective.
A brief summary of the book is as follows: Palmyra is well known for the ancient Temple of Bel also known as the Temple of Baal. This was consecrated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol. This ancient city formed the center of religious life in Palmyra since 32 A.D. At the height of its prosperity, the population in the region may have reached around 150,000 to 200,000 in second century A.D. But the city population may have been from 40,000 to 60,000 people. Palmyra attracted large number of migrants from nearby regions for its shared religious association and the economic opportunity. In the early days, Palmyrenes had formed an expansive commercial and social network that extended from Rome to South Asia. They were buying exotic goods from India such as silk, aromatics, and spices and reselling them to Romans. For almost three centuries, Palmyrenes never lost their cultural integrity and distinctiveness. The Roman Empire progressively increased their influence on Palmyra from the first century A.D. In the third century A.D. Palmyra became a Roman city and brought into Roman provincial network. It was granted the institutional status of colonia. The historic monuments and structures at Palmyra withstood the ravages of war during Roman Era, invasions from Parthian Empire and Persians. Yet it retained its cultural identity for 2000 years, but it did not withstand the onslaught of Islamic militants. The region had become Islamic during the first millennia when much of the Arabic tribes in the Middle East became Islamic. Although the region was active from 32 B.C to the end of third century A.D. The archeological evidence does not show any influence of early Christianity on Palmyrenes although Palmyra was only about 250 miles from Jerusalem.
The ruins of Palmyra were considered best among the preserved monuments and structures until they were destroyed by the Islamic State in August 2015. In a push of ethnic and religious cleansing, the cultural diversity and religious tolerance that once stood for nearly two thousand years in Syria were annihilated.
This book includes many pictures of the ancient city; the plan of city of Palmyra, the aerial picture of the city covering all the ancient architectural ruins, and the temple of god Bel; the Great Colonnade, the sanctuary of Bel in the temple precinct, sanctuary of Baalshamin, the temple of Allat and the Great Colonnade leading to the temple of Bel, the monumental arch of the colonnade, aerial view of the Valley of Tombs, various assortments of Palmyrene tesserae that includes a priest of god Bel. My favorite pictures are the aerial shots of the ancient city; they are simply spectacular. All the pictures in this book are black and white; I wished they were in color. But the color pictures are available online, just Google search or look in Pinterest, there are many great pictures of the ruins of Palmyra.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews