Rome the Cosmopolis [Paperback]

A collection of essays exploring key aspects of the relationship between Rome and its empire.Ancient Rome was a vast and multifarious metropolis. By coercion and seduction it drew to itself a population from every province of its empire, as well as foodstuffs, building materials and entertainments from all over the world. What impact did the possession of empire have on the city itself? How did its inhabitants, visitors and subjects make sense of its unique role? How did Rome stay Roman when it contained the world? This collection of essays seeks to explore key aspects of the relationship between Rome and its empire.Ancient Rome was a vast and multifarious metropolis. By coercion and seduction it drew to itself a population from every province of its empire, as well as foodstuffs, building materials and entertainments from all over the world. What impact did the possession of empire have on the city itself? How did its inhabitants, visitors and subjects make sense of its unique role? How did Rome stay Roman when it contained the world? This collection of essays seeks to explore key aspects of the relationship between Rome and its empire.Ancient Rome was a vast and varied metropolis. By coercion and seduction it attracted a population from every province of its empire, as well as foodstuffs, building materials and entertainment from all over the world. What impact did the possession of empire have on the city itself? How did its inhabitants, visitors and subjects comprehend its unique role? How did Rome stay Roman when it encompassed the world? This collection of essays seeks to explore key aspects of the relationship between Rome and its empire.List of figures; List of contributors; Preface; List of abbreviations; 1. Cosmopolis: Rome as World City Catharine Edwards and Greg Woolf; 2. The triumph of the absurd: Roman street theatre Mary Beard; 3. Incorporating the alien: the art of conquest Catharine Edwards; 4. Inventing Christian Rome: the role of early Christian al�