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How did the Romans build and maintain one of the most powerful and
stable empires in the history of the world? This illuminating book
draws on the literature, especially the historiography, composed by
the members of the elite who conducted Roman foreign affairs. From
this evidence, Susan P. Mattern reevaluates the roots, motivations,
and goals of Roman imperial foreign policy especially as that
policy related to warfare. In a major reinterpretation of the
sources, "Rome and the Enemy" shows that concepts of national
honor, fierce competition for status, and revenge drove Roman
foreign policy, and though different from the highly rationalizing
strategies often attributed to the Romans, dictated patterns of
response that remained consistent over centuries.
Mattern reconstructs the world view of the Roman decision-makers,
the emperors, and the elite from which they drew their advisers.
She discusses Roman conceptions of geography, strategy, economics,
and the influence of traditional Roman values on the conduct of
military campaigns. She shows that these leaders were more strongly
influenced by a traditional, stereotyped perception of the enemy
and a drive to avenge insults to their national honor than by
concepts of defensible borders. In fact, the desire to enforce an
image of Roman power was a major policy goal behind many of their
most brutal and aggressive campaigns.
"Rome and the Enemy" provides a fascinating look into the Roman
mind in addition to a compelling reexamination of Roman conceptions
of warfare and national honor. The resulting picture creates a new
understanding of Rome's long mastery of the Mediterranean world.
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Fan Girl (Paperback)
P Mattern, Danielle James
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R359
Discovery Miles 3 590
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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