Between Empires: Arabs, Romans, and Sasanians in Late Antiquity

by Greg Fisher

Overview

In Between Empires Greg Fisher tackles the problem of pre-Islamic Arab identity by examining the relationship between the Roman Empire and the Empire of Sasanian Iran, and a selection of their Arab allies and neighbours, the Jafnids, Nasrids, and Hujrids. Fisher focuses on the last century before the emergence of Islam and stresses the importance of a Near East dominated by Rome and Iran for the formation of early concepts of Arab identity. In particular, he examines cultural and religious integration, political activities, and the role played by Arabic as factors in this process. He concludes that interface with the Roman Empire, in particular, played a key role in helping to lay the foundation for later concepts of Arab identity, and that the world of Late Antiquity is, as a result, of enduring interest in our understanding of what we now call the Middle East.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199599271
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/11/2011
Series:	Oxford Classical Monographs
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Greg Fisher is Assistant Professor of Greek and Roman Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, where he teaches courses on Rome and the barbarians, the Near East, and Roman imperial history.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. Aspects of Arab Christianization in Late Antiquity3. Empires, Clients, and Politics4. Arabic, Culture, and Ethnicity5. Between Empires: the Jafnids, the Nasrids, and Late Antiquity6. The Jafnids and History in East and West

Editorial Reviews

"This is an interesting work that helps fir the Arab elite groups of the Near East into the wider context of Roman "barbarian" relations. Fisher's arguments are sound and sophisticated." —Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"I would heartily recommend this book for anyone interested in the affairs and status of the Arabs in the sixth century. For anybody interested in the history of Arabs immediately prior to the Rise of Islam, it is vital reading." —Ian Hughes, UNRV.com

"I would heartily recommend this book for anyone interested in the affairs and status of the Arabs in the sixth century. For anybody interested in the history of Arabs immediately prior to the Rise of Islam, it is vital reading." —Ian Hughes, UNRV.com

From the Publisher