Imperial Rome Ad 284 to 363: The New Empire

A distinct perspective on the momentous religious change in the regionDiocletian (284-305) and his principal successor, Constantine (306-337), would rule the Roman world for over half a century and Constantine's sons would build on their legacy. Administrative reform encouraged the rise of a bureaucratic culture, provincial government was reshaped and became more hierarchical and the court became more structured. The period was also one of momentous religious change. With Constantine's adoption of Christianity as the favoured recipient of imperial patronage, the religious landscape would, over time, be radically reshaped.Jill Harries combines the administrative reform and religious change with accounts of war, women and imperial cities to offer a new and revealing view of the region.

Key features:

• Focuses on the Emperor Constantine as a major figure and offers a context to his achievement
• Addresses the role of imperial women, often ignored for this period
• Studies the control of empires and how rulers fashion their claims to legitimacy

Keywords: Roman history; Late Antiquity; Later Roman Empire; History of Christianity; Diocletian; Constantine; Emperor Julian.

Author: Jill Harries
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Published: 03/07/2012
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780748620531

Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2013

About the Author

Jill Harries is Professor of Ancient History and head of school at the University of St Andrews. Her books include Sidonius Apollinaris and the Fall of Rome (Oxford University Press, 1994) and Law and Empire in Late Antiquity (Cambridge University Press 1999, paperback 2001).