Palmyra, the Mediterranean and Beyond

Palmyra is one of the most famous sites of the ancient world and played a major role in the overland trade between the Mediterranean and the East. This volume explores fascinating aspects of Palmyrene archaeology and history that underline the site's dynamic relations with the Roman world, whilst simultaneously acknowledging its extremely local nature. The chapters explore Palmyra as a site, but also Palmyrene society both at home and abroad – as travellers in the then known world and contractors and businesspeople as well as innovative political and military leaders of their time. They illuminate Palmyra's and Palmyrene society's negotiations, struggles, benefits and disadvantages from being part of the Roman Empire, situated on the fringes between the East and the West, and their use of this location to recreate themselves as a central power player – at least for a time – within a rapidly changing world.

• Shows how our understanding of Palmyra within the context of the Roman Empire must and can be broadened through revisiting the evidence on the basis of recent research
• Situates Palmyra centre-stage as an important oasis city in the Syrian Desert, where an immense amount of archaeological and written evidence survives
• Reveals the Mediterranean to be a region of dynamic interrelations which stretched far beyond the shores of the Mediterranean