Foreigners at Rome: Citizens and Strangers

by David Noy

'The Tiber has been joined by the Orontes'. So wrote the Roman satirist Juvenal, in a complaint about immigration to the Empire's capital. Rome was constantly sustained by immigrants. Some were voluntary - craftworkers, soldiers, teachers and intellectuals. Countless others came as slaves. What happened to them after arrival? Did they try to keep contact with their homelands? Did they form distinctive communities within Rome? This book is the first comprehensive study of Rome's foreign-born element. The author uses inscriptions and literature to explore the experiences of newcomers to the capital. The results are compared with the colourful Roman stereotypes of different immigrant groups.

Genres: Ancient History, History

373 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

the subject material is interesting and i didn't know you could get that much out of epigraphs but i have to admit to skimming a couple times