Product Description

This book is a study of the process conventionally termed ‘Romanization’ through an investigation of the experience of Rome’s Gallic provinces in the late Republic and early empire. Beginning with a rejection of the concept of ‘Romanization’ it describes the nature of Roman power in Gaul and the Romans’ own understanding of these changes. Successive chapters then map the chronology and geography of change and offer new interpretations of urbanism, rural civilization, consumption and cult, before concluding with a synoptic view of Gallo-Roman civilization and of the origins of provincial cultures in general. The work draws on literary and archaeological material to make a contribution to the cultural history of the empire which will be of interest to ancient historians, classical archaeologists and all interested in cultural change.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #247014 in Books
• Published on: 2000-07-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 316 pages

Review
‘ … a bold and far-reaching study, and a particularly valuable addition to the corpus of literature on the Western Roman provinces.’ The Times Literary Supplement

‘ … a stimulating and impressive achievement.’ The Cambridge Archaeological Journal

‘[Greg Woolf] has … produced a study that any serious student of the ancient world must read, and that is without question the best book on the western provinces written this decade.’ Bryn Mawr Classical Review

‘… rich and versatile … The book combines an enormous amount of detailed research with a decade of profound reflection.’ The Classical Review

‘… many scholars will find it a useful source of reference … original and scholarly … it belongs on the reading list of the many undergraduate course-units to which it will be pertinent … invaluable introduction written for an intelligent audience with little prior knowledge … university library copies stand to become well thumbed by an audience spanning all levels. … a thought-provoking book that has much to teach authors on Roman Britain.’ Journal of Roman Studies

Customer Reviews

Thoughtful, up to date re-analysis
There is a traditional and inaccurate view that following the conquest of Gaul in the middle of the first century bc, the entire country became Romanised pretty much instantly, indistinguishable from Rome itself and inhabited by Italian Romans living in villas.

Over the last decade or two this view has been shaken by more thorough and objective analysis of archeology, abnd this book is an excellent introduction to current thinking in this field. it is well referenced and clearly explained, and examines different strands of evidence - trade patterns, the rise of cities, the impact of a standing Rhine army on the development of a surplus-based, trading economy in the interior of Gaul, changing fashions as evidenced by epigraphy - to draw a picture of gradual Romanisation and the development of regional identities within Gaul in the late classical period that is at once more detailed and more believable than the simplistic models previously used. Highly recommended.

Make you think about what it meant to be Roman
Thought-provoking. Woolf takes you through how Gauls became Romans and what that actually meant in terms of cultural transitions. It would be nice to see him do something similar on Britain.