The early Roman Empire in the East.

The early Roman Empire in the East. SUSAN E. ALCOCK Susan Alcock is a Roman archaeologist specializing in survey archaeology and the archaeology of memory in the provinces of the Roman empire. Alcock grew up in Massachusetts and was educated at Yale and the University of Cambridge. B.A. (ed.). The early Roman Empire in the East. x+212pages, 79 figures, 2 tables. 1997. Oxford: Oxbow Books; 1-9001-8852-Xpaperback 24 [pounds sterling]. Dr HUSKINSON'S topical volume has been prepared for the OpenUniversity -- normally, as here too, a recommendation in itself. Thetopics covered are: media of communication; Rome as symbol; the dominantor approved culture, and status; gender; the symbolism of work (favouredjobs) and the ramifying effects of urbanism; religion; dissent; thejewry; and `concepts of peace'. The treatment is both sound andcritical -- as much the topical awareness of cultural diversity as theemphasis on symbolism (cf. COONEY, EDMONDS, THOMAS and BEVAN in `Laterprehistory prehistory,period of human evolution before writing was invented and records kept. The term was coined by Daniel Wilson in 1851. It is followed by protohistory, the period for which we have some records but must still rely largely on archaeological evidence to of Europe', above). Although it was long neglected by comparison with the WesternEmpire, Dr ALCOCK's dozen interesting papers herald some redressfor the vast world of the Eastern Empire. They comprise a couple ofpapers on towns (G. Woolf generalizing, and an assessment of Achaia),four studies of regions (Syria, Judaea and the Arabian Gulf Arabian Gulf:see Persian Gulf. ), and fiveon `images and identities' (the imperial cult An Imperial cult is a kind of religion in which an Emperor, or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title), are worshiped as demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship," not in the modern pejorative sense. , Hellenism in thePontic, J. Eisner on pilgrimage, and two on tombs), plus `a view fromthe west' by M. Millett. Pointing out that, partly because there were relatively few trustedhistorians for the times, the general reader has few introductions(any?) available on the later periods of the Roman Empire, Dr REECErecommends that an art historical approach to the culture and itsdevelopment can aptly serve to introduce the principal themes.Accordingly, he provides chapters on sculpture and portraiture, mosaicsand wall paintings (tombs and churches), illuminated manuscripts,churches, silver, coinage (and the information that it provides on theeconomy), and one chapter on other materials (from pottery to jewelleryto the distribution of animal bones). A final chapter sums up thehistory. The approach is original but it makes sense -- and it is allwritten very approachably indeed.