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1Feicht
Edge of Empire: Rome's Frontier on the Lower Rhine by Jona Lendering and Arjen Bosman
http://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/shop/edge-of-empire.html
Doesn't appear to be available on Amazon yet, but I think it'll be worth picking up from the publisher's website.
"In this place, a poverty-stricken tribe lives on high terps and hand-built platforms, which raise their homes above the known high water mark. When the waves wash over the surrounding land, the inhabitants look like seafarers, but when the water subsides they have the appearance of shipwrecked people."
That’s how a Roman officer described the people living on the shores of the North Sea. To him and his comrades, this was the edge of the world. In the sea, he expected to find fabulous monsters, and on land, savage barbarians.
Every ancient author writing about the Low Countries, was preoccupied with the complete contrast between the civilized people of the Roman Empire and the tribes of noble savages or barbarians living outside it. Julius Caesar exploited this preconception to enhance his own reputation, boasting that he had overcome the "bravest of all Gauls"; Tacitus employed the same stereotypes when he described the Batavian Revolt; and, in Late Antiquity, the Franks were still described as resembling monsters.
The reality was different. The presence of the Roman army along the River Rhine radically changed the way of life in the small Roman province of Germania Inferior, and the need to maintain and feed this large army became a significant incentive for economic change. The tribes living along the lower reaches of the Rhine and close to the North Sea gradually began to resemble their occupiers.
Historian Jona Lendering and archaeologist Arjen Bosman have combined their considerable expertise to create a successful synthesis of historical and archaeological evidence, in this history of Rome’s Lower Rhine frontier. Their award-winning book is now available in English for the first time.
“an excellent overview and source collection” – Bryn Mawr Classical Review
http://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/shop/edge-of-empire.html
Doesn't appear to be available on Amazon yet, but I think it'll be worth picking up from the publisher's website.
"In this place, a poverty-stricken tribe lives on high terps and hand-built platforms, which raise their homes above the known high water mark. When the waves wash over the surrounding land, the inhabitants look like seafarers, but when the water subsides they have the appearance of shipwrecked people."
That’s how a Roman officer described the people living on the shores of the North Sea. To him and his comrades, this was the edge of the world. In the sea, he expected to find fabulous monsters, and on land, savage barbarians.
Every ancient author writing about the Low Countries, was preoccupied with the complete contrast between the civilized people of the Roman Empire and the tribes of noble savages or barbarians living outside it. Julius Caesar exploited this preconception to enhance his own reputation, boasting that he had overcome the "bravest of all Gauls"; Tacitus employed the same stereotypes when he described the Batavian Revolt; and, in Late Antiquity, the Franks were still described as resembling monsters.
The reality was different. The presence of the Roman army along the River Rhine radically changed the way of life in the small Roman province of Germania Inferior, and the need to maintain and feed this large army became a significant incentive for economic change. The tribes living along the lower reaches of the Rhine and close to the North Sea gradually began to resemble their occupiers.
Historian Jona Lendering and archaeologist Arjen Bosman have combined their considerable expertise to create a successful synthesis of historical and archaeological evidence, in this history of Rome’s Lower Rhine frontier. Their award-winning book is now available in English for the first time.
“an excellent overview and source collection” – Bryn Mawr Classical Review
2Nicole_VanK
I think it's a translation of : http://www.librarything.com/work/10380974.
And, if so: yes - it's pretty good.
And, if so: yes - it's pretty good.
3henkl
According to Lendering's website : http://mainzerbeobachter.wordpress.com/mijn-boeken/de-rand-van-het-rijk-de-romei... it's indeed the English translation of De rand van het Rijk.
I agree it's pretty good.
I agree it's pretty good.
4cemanuel
Sounds interesting. Thomas Burns discusses this sort of development in Rome and the Barbarians. CR Whittaker does as well though I've only read his older book on it - I need to get his Rome and its Frontiers..
I have sort of a pet theory - not sure it's ever been explored by a historian - that one of the causal factors of the 5th century barbarian "invasions" was the Empire pulling back its frontiers. You had what was an entire frontier culture, largely stable, which had become very interwoven re economic systems, structures, trade, etc., with the Roman frontier troops. When those troops pulled back, the barbarians entered the Empire, as they had become so dependent on the Empire that they tried to get back in contact with it. There are some holes with that but I also think it may have some merit, at least as a contributing factor.
I have sort of a pet theory - not sure it's ever been explored by a historian - that one of the causal factors of the 5th century barbarian "invasions" was the Empire pulling back its frontiers. You had what was an entire frontier culture, largely stable, which had become very interwoven re economic systems, structures, trade, etc., with the Roman frontier troops. When those troops pulled back, the barbarians entered the Empire, as they had become so dependent on the Empire that they tried to get back in contact with it. There are some holes with that but I also think it may have some merit, at least as a contributing factor.
5Nicole_VanK
Yes, I think there's at least some core of truth in that. But also remember that many so-called Romans in such border areas as the Netherlands (this book is mostly about what we now know as the Netherlands) were in fact barbarians in Roman employ.
6cemanuel
There wasn't a lot to distinguish a Roman from a Barbarian - you're a Roman soldier serving 20 years on the frontier, you likely hook up with a local woman, have kids ... In analyzing who a Roman soldier had closer contacts with, the frontier was a lot closer than Rome or Contsantinople. Julian (and particularly Constantius) found that out when they tried to send troops East.
It would be a wonder if the Romans weren't "barbarianized" as well as barbarians being Romanized.
It would be a wonder if the Romans weren't "barbarianized" as well as barbarians being Romanized.
7Nicole_VanK
Yes, but I was also thinking of the Batavi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavi_%28Germanic_tribe%29) - just inside the limes and a source of troops, but also instigators of a fairly major uprising. And a bit later this same region saw the ethnogenesis of the Franks. Real Romans were probably far between.
ETA: Though the Roman influence was indeed very real. But as I see it that's an entirely different matter.
ETA: Though the Roman influence was indeed very real. But as I see it that's an entirely different matter.
8AndreasJ
Tangential, but if you haven't checked out Mr Lendering's work at www.livius.org , you ought to.
9cemanuel
Not sure where I ever talked about the number of Romans but a garrison city like Cologne would have had a pretty large number. Still, that's not the point as their influence was far greater than their numbers including the evolution of what often seem to resemble client states among the Germanics. With the Romans were camp followers, all the industry needed to support them which resulted in the formation of trading and cultural exchange centers. Up and down the Rhine you had what amounted to a semi-urban area a few miles wide, far more populated than anything for hundreds of miles to the East or West. The influence of this highly populated border area far outstripped the number of Romans (for example, if Cologne was a city of 20,000 maybe as few as a quarter of them were ethnic Romans). When the troops were withdrawn from the frontier an entire way of life went with them. I'm not familiar enough specifically with Germania Inferior to be able to say this region followed this exact patter but with the number of garrison towns it seems likely.
Since you bring it up, the reasons for uprisings is another interesting area. There's a fair amount of evidence that uprisings were often (not always of course) a way for barbarian groups to demonstrate to the Romans that they were important enough and could cause enough damage that they should be paid off to keep the peace. Again, when the frontier left, so did those payments. That's been posed as a reason for the 405/6 invasion across the Rhine. A Germanic leader had to find a way to keep the "good stuff" flowing to his people or he wouldn't be a leader for long.
Since you bring it up, the reasons for uprisings is another interesting area. There's a fair amount of evidence that uprisings were often (not always of course) a way for barbarian groups to demonstrate to the Romans that they were important enough and could cause enough damage that they should be paid off to keep the peace. Again, when the frontier left, so did those payments. That's been posed as a reason for the 405/6 invasion across the Rhine. A Germanic leader had to find a way to keep the "good stuff" flowing to his people or he wouldn't be a leader for long.
10Feicht
@Andreas: Yes that's where I'd known Lendering from!
And yeah, I knew it was just a reprint/translation of their earlier work, but seeing as my Dutch is a bit rusty... ;-D
And yeah, I knew it was just a reprint/translation of their earlier work, but seeing as my Dutch is a bit rusty... ;-D
11Nicole_VanK
Somehow it's not a very widely understood language.
Seriously though: I'm glad to see that more Dutch publications now get a chance to reach international audiences. Another favourite of mine, Egyptian Magic: The Quest for Thoth's Book of Secrets by Maarten Raven, recently became available in English too.
Seriously though: I'm glad to see that more Dutch publications now get a chance to reach international audiences. Another favourite of mine, Egyptian Magic: The Quest for Thoth's Book of Secrets by Maarten Raven, recently became available in English too.
