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Edge of the Empire
by Bronwen Riley is a lively and engaging journey through
the Roman province of Britannia during the early 2nd century
AD at the height of the Roman Empire. Riley, editor of the
acclaimed English Heritage Red Guides that seek to "bring
history to life", applies the same narrative approach
in revealing a vibrant Britain (Britannia) that existed almost
2000 years ago. Using an extensive body of academic research
and studies on the early Roman Empire, Riley has weaved a
story of the new Roman governor's journey to Britannia that
starts from the Empire's center, Rome, to its furthest point,
Hadrian's Wall in northern Britannia.
What I liked about this book was its approach in reconstructing
Roman life, using the journey of the new Britannia governor
to introduce the reader to city life, commercial activity,
customs, religious practices and important Roman rituals as
the governor journeys from Rome, though France and then finally
throughout Britannia. Although a lot has been written on the
Roman Empire from the time of Tacitus through today, Riley
“brings to life" the Roman Empire as it existed
over 1800 years ago, and makes the reader understand and feel
the daily challenges of living. Ordinary people come alive,
along with their struggles and daily routine existence, that
are reconstructed in detail as the new governor and his entourage
wind their way through Britannia.
Riley uses the present tense effectively to engage the reader
in the world of the Roman Empire and make one feel as if it
happened only yesterday. This approach distinguishes it from
formal academic studies and allows Riley to both portray life
as documented by other historians, while speculating on certain
aspects that are not fully documented, but which through indirect
evidence exists. In no way is her narrative credibility undermined
and, in fact, helps provide the reader with a more complete
picture of Roman life.
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