Ritual Dynamics and Religious Change in the Roman Empire

The 18 articles of this volume (4 in French, 5 in German, the balance in English) were first presented at the Eighth Workshop of the International Network Impact of Empire held at the Internationales Wissenschaftsforum Heidelberg (Germany) in July 2007. The varieties of religious and civic ritual practiced across the vast Roman empire are discovered through analysis of archaeological and written evidence, with paper topics that include women as participants in sacrifices, images of the gods in Roman Greece, public feasts during the time of imperial Rome, and the end of the triumphal fasti in 19 BC. Angelos Chaniotis (U. of Oxford, All Souls College, the UK) provides an introductory essay outlining the state of research. Indexes of names and places (but not subjects) are provided. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Olivier Hekster is Professor of Ancient History at Radboud University Nijmegen. He is chairman of the international network Impact of Empire. His publications include Crises and the Roman Empire (2007) and Rome and Its Empire, AD 193-284 (2008).Sebastian Schmidt-Hofner is Wissenschaftlicher Assistent at the University of Heidelberg. He is chairing a recently established international network for late antique studies. His publications include Reagieren und Gestalten. Der Regierungsstil des spatromischen Kaisers (2008).Christian Witschel is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Heidelberg. He is director of research of the Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg. His publications include Die Stadt in der Spatantike – Niedergang oder Wandel? (2006) and Statuen in der Spatantike (2007).