Roman Imperial Themes

This book comprises 16 articles published over 30 years, together with addenda and corrigenda, and two new essays. Some concern Roman aspirations to world dominion, others bear on Rome's success in winning the loyalty or acquiescence of her subjects.
This book comprises 16 articles published over 30 years, together with addenda and corrigenda, and two new essays. Some concern Roman aspirations to world dominion, others bear on Rome's success in winning the loyalty or acquiescence of her subjects. The attitudes of the masses to Roman rule are virtually unknowable, but almost everywhere the higher orders among the subjects were reconciled by the Roman policy of assimilating them to Romans and giving them an increasing share in the central government, while maintaining their control of local affairs. The Roman Empire, unlike the British, evoked no national resistance, except from the Jews. Various studies of Roman administration, especially fiscal, however, suggest that Rome's rule was not endeared to the subjects by the lightness of the burden imposed, nor by the integrity and professional competence of her administrators, which have often been over-estimated.