"Soldiers, Cities, and Civilians examines the impact of the Roman army on urbanization in Syria; political, cultural, and social relations between soldiers and civilians; and the effects of the Roman army on the economy of the region. The book looks at the basing of soldiers in cities in the early and middle empire (a phenomenon unique to the eastern provinces) and at the impact military requirements had on the development of new "fortress cities" in the later empire. It examines the duties soldiers performed and the privileges they held vis-a-vis civilians, as well as informal relations between the two groups, relations defined by such factors as ethnicity, religion, and intermarriage. It considers the impact of army pay and supply on the broad regional economy, drawing on numismatic, archaeological, and textual evidence.". "The study of the Roman Near East, including the Roman army based there, is an area of much scholarly interest today. Likewise, the general issues of Roman imperialism and the nature of soldier-civilian relationships are important topics of discussion. Soldiers, Cities, and Civilians in Roman Syria will appeal not only to scholars of Roman history and archaeology but also to scholars with comparative interests in the history and archaeology of empires and colonial societies."--BOOK JACKET.