Ways of Being Roman: Discourses of Identity in the Roman West [Paperback]

This book examines the question of identity in the Roman provinces of the western empire. It takes an innovative approach in looking at the wider discourses or ideologies through which an individual sense of self was learnt and expressed. This wide-ranging survey considers ethnic identity, status, gender and age. Rather than constructing a paradigm of the ‘ideal’ of any specific aspect of personal identity, it looks at some of the wider cultural ideas which were drawn upon in differentiating groups of people and the variability within this. It focusses on the daily and mundane practices of everyday life through which identities were internalised and communicated.

"A monograph with such a wide-ranging geographical and temporal scope, and one which presents this material with keen attention to theory ... The book will also be useful for undergraduate and graduate courses about the Roman world. The writing style is accessible and jargon-free. The substantial overlap in archaeological, epigraphic, and historical material will provide reading for fruitful cross-disciplinary discussions. Most importantly, Revell’s notion of identity grounded practice will help push the tired discussion of identity towards more innovative research about lived experience and community formation in the Roman world. "

Bryn Mawr Classical Review (01/08/2017)

"Louise Revell has produced a lean, highly intelligent and carefully thought through discussion of an enormous subject […] this book is considerably more significant than its lean proportions might suggest, and it deserves to be read well beyond the world of professional Roman archaeology - not least by historians and students."
Alexander Skinner
Ancient West & East (03/12/2020)

"[Revell]’s command of the theory is to be commended, as is her ability to introduce the middle range between the latter and the data. On this basis alone, the book should be required reading for those interested in the culture of the Western provinces."
Roman Roth
Journal of Roman Studies (14/08/2019)

"This book constitutes a valuable overview of current identity studies as applied to the western Roman provinces… It is likely to prove enormously useful to researchers, especially undergraduate students and anyone trying to gain an initial insight into this complex and fast-growing field."
Ursula Rothe
Antiquaries Journal (10/12/2018)