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The Edge of the Empire: A Journey to Britannia: From the Heart of Rome to Hadrian's Wall
AD 130. Rome is the dazzling heart of a vast empire and Hadrian its most complex and compelling ruler. Faraway Britannia is one of the Romans' most troublesome provinces: here the sun is seldom seen and "the atmosphere in the country is always gloomy."
What awaits the traveller to Britannia? How will you get there? What do you need to pack? What language will you speak? How does London compare to Rome? Are there any tourist attractions? And what dangers lurk behind Hadrian's new Wall?
Combining an extensive range of Greek and Latin sources with a sound understanding of archaeology, Bronwen Riley describes an epic journey from Rome to Hadrian’s Wall at the empire's northwestern frontier. In this strikingly original history of Roman Britain, she evokes the smells, sounds, colors, and sensations of life in the second century.
What awaits the traveller to Britannia? How will you get there? What do you need to pack? What language will you speak? How does London compare to Rome? Are there any tourist attractions? And what dangers lurk behind Hadrian's new Wall?
Combining an extensive range of Greek and Latin sources with a sound understanding of archaeology, Bronwen Riley describes an epic journey from Rome to Hadrian’s Wall at the empire's northwestern frontier. In this strikingly original history of Roman Britain, she evokes the smells, sounds, colors, and sensations of life in the second century.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 7, 2017
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
There seems to be a trend in history books these days that I'm all for, which is to de-emphasize the date-focused tradition of battles and emperors to instead "paint a portrait" of what daily life in those days must've been like for the average citizen; take Bronwen Riley's The Edge of the Empire, for example, which examines the Roman Empire's far-flung colony of Brittannia (or modern-day Great Britain) by picturing what the trip there must've been like for its newly appointed governor in 120 AD, Sextus Julius Severus, as he made his way with his retinue from the center of Rome itself all the way to the northern wasteland of Hadrian's Wall. This then gives Riley an excuse to look at all kinds of interesting topics that would relate to such a trip, from the roadways and shipping lanes that had been established by then, to how such traveling groups kept themselves fed and housed over such a long distance, the way the countryside's culture changed as you traveled farther and farther away from Italy, what exactly was built by the Romans in these far-off spots and what was co-opted from the pagans who were already there, what kinds of things were valuable enough in those locations to be imported back to people in Rome, and what kinds of things needed to be exported from Rome out to them. It's a surprisingly short book, only 200 pages once you remove the bibliography and notes; and this lets it move at the lively pace of a contemporary novel, certainly not a book for serious academes but a perfect volume for armchair historians like you and me. For those who are interested in learning more about this endlessly fascinating period of human history, but don't feel like trudging their way through a thousand pages of "Caesar This" defeating "Minor That," this comes strongly recommended, a brisk and fact-filled look at what European travel was like in an age before jetliners, ocean cruisers or even paved roads.
Out of 10: 8.8, or 9.3 for amateur history buffs
There seems to be a trend in history books these days that I'm all for, which is to de-emphasize the date-focused tradition of battles and emperors to instead "paint a portrait" of what daily life in those days must've been like for the average citizen; take Bronwen Riley's The Edge of the Empire, for example, which examines the Roman Empire's far-flung colony of Brittannia (or modern-day Great Britain) by picturing what the trip there must've been like for its newly appointed governor in 120 AD, Sextus Julius Severus, as he made his way with his retinue from the center of Rome itself all the way to the northern wasteland of Hadrian's Wall. This then gives Riley an excuse to look at all kinds of interesting topics that would relate to such a trip, from the roadways and shipping lanes that had been established by then, to how such traveling groups kept themselves fed and housed over such a long distance, the way the countryside's culture changed as you traveled farther and farther away from Italy, what exactly was built by the Romans in these far-off spots and what was co-opted from the pagans who were already there, what kinds of things were valuable enough in those locations to be imported back to people in Rome, and what kinds of things needed to be exported from Rome out to them. It's a surprisingly short book, only 200 pages once you remove the bibliography and notes; and this lets it move at the lively pace of a contemporary novel, certainly not a book for serious academes but a perfect volume for armchair historians like you and me. For those who are interested in learning more about this endlessly fascinating period of human history, but don't feel like trudging their way through a thousand pages of "Caesar This" defeating "Minor That," this comes strongly recommended, a brisk and fact-filled look at what European travel was like in an age before jetliners, ocean cruisers or even paved roads.
Out of 10: 8.8, or 9.3 for amateur history buffs
March 27, 2016
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.
For the full review by Richard Morelli, visit Myshelf at: http://myshelf.com/history/14/edgeoft...
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.
For the full review by Richard Morelli, visit Myshelf at: http://myshelf.com/history/14/edgeoft...
February 12, 2018
As a devotee of Lindsey Davis and her Falco novels, I love reading books about Roman history and matching up the details. The period here is a half or century past the time of the Falco books, and it's fascinating to read about what came afterward, and to recognize things here that are present in the novels.
Riley is a good writer. This is scholarly, but flashes of humor help make this pretty readable. At times the details all began to blur, but anyone interested in the Romans in Britain should give this a whirl.
The information at the end of the book gives a lot of helpful information about Roman ruins in Britain. I was surprised though that Riley manages to omit anything about Fishburne Palace, which Davis used for A Body in the Bathhouse, and whose ruins are another site worth seeing.
Riley is a good writer. This is scholarly, but flashes of humor help make this pretty readable. At times the details all began to blur, but anyone interested in the Romans in Britain should give this a whirl.
The information at the end of the book gives a lot of helpful information about Roman ruins in Britain. I was surprised though that Riley manages to omit anything about Fishburne Palace, which Davis used for A Body in the Bathhouse, and whose ruins are another site worth seeing.
January 18, 2017
A very intriguing idea, but not as engrossing as I hoped it would be. The author chooses to attempt to recreate what it would have been like for Hadrian's new Chief Administrator to make his journey from Rome to Britannia in 130 CE. It is a clever structure to talk about what life was like at that time in those places. There is a great deal of Latin vocabulary used which I think may have been part of the issue. If I was already familiar with the various titles and places, I would find this annoying. If I was not familiar with these titles, they become overwhelming and laborious quickly. Half of the book is devoted to Britain, and a familiarity with modern Britain will enhance one's interest in this book. So, three stars for its narrow audience, but if you're the right audience, you might like this more.
May 28, 2016
A good complement to another book I read about Roman Britain, Under Another Sky by Charlotte Higgins. Riley's detailed travelogue does not focus as much on history but great attention is paid to geography, architecture and, particularly interesting, Roman customs.
August 28, 2016
I received this as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Really enjoyed this one. Full review to come.
+++++++++++++
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Rating: 4 Stars
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I. Loved. This. Book.
Right off the bat I appreciated the use of maps with this book. I am a visual person so I am fond of books that do make good use of maps and photographs. As you begin your journey in Rome and meander your way toward Hadrian's Wall, there are maps along the way to help you trace your journey. I was frustrated by the lack of photos, but naturally as you made your way farther and farther from Rome, there is less that survived elsewhere - especially in Britain of course - to mark all the places the empire expanded to and flourished.
One thing I noticed right away was how well-researched this book is. I like that it is written in the present-tense, as if you, the reader, are making this journey yourself. There were tons of tidbits along the way, things I had never given any thought to, really, despite my deep interest in Roman times and Roman Britain in particular. For example, it would be interesting for us to really know why emperors restricted which kinds of foods could be sold at bars or cook shops along the way. The author suggests that it was because kitchens were such fire hazards, as they were often located in the center of town and it would be kind of a big effing deal if a fire broke out. Another possibility was that the fumes were too nasty or there was simply too much smoke.
Throughout this journey, you travel both by land and by sea. I found the sea portion of the travels just as interesting as that by land - though I was disgusted on many levels to learn that travelers would use tombs as bathrooms. Seriously. Yuck. And so disrespectful. But, back to the sea travel. I thought it was interesting that the ships leaving Roman ports did not actually have accommodations for passengers. I wasn't expecting the Titanic or anything, but basically passengers had to find space on deck or below to sleep. For all the advances ancient Rome made, they couldn't figure out how to build a ship with cabins or some sleeping areas? Seriously?
I find learning about the whole Roman Empire kind of daunting. I mean, it was this vast, sprawling empire and there is so much history, even I almost get bored just because there is SO MUCH to learn. I think this is why I focus more on Roman Britain (plus, Bouddica. Duh...And literally as I typed her name, I realize I spell it differently almost every time. Looking up how I have it labeled for my blog posts, I spelled it 'Boudicca'. Oops. But I have seen it spelled so many different ways and no one can even agree if she was actually real, let alone how to spell her name).
Anyway.
My purpose for mentioning my intimidation by the Roman Empire was to illustrate how little I know about the actual governing and politics. As you are, so to speak, traveling to the edge of the Roman empire to take up your governorship at Hadrian's Wall, it was interesting to learn some detail about the job itself. Imperial Governors had no set term limits. They would be assigned to their post for as long or as short a time as the Emperor chooses. Once the governor has arrived at his post, he must stay until his tour is over. He is not allowed to leave the boundaries of his province for any time. Even if he were conducting official business, referred to as "the fulfilling of a vow", he is not allowed to spend a single night away from his province.
Once we were on the road to Londinium, I was especially interested in this section and beyond because, of course, I love all things related to Britain before 1603. I mean, I don't love Elizabeth I, but that is neither here nor there in relation to this text. This was by far my favorite section, though I really enjoyed the book as a whole. As we enter Londinium, I decided I want my own Transport Officer because I still don't know where most of the stuff in Omaha is after living here for a number of years. To be fair though, I do not actually live in Omaha-proper, nor do I even really care about Omaha, because I hate living here, so there's that. Maybe I don't need a Transport Officer after all.
I loved the section dedicated to Boudicca, the fierce Iceni queen. I'm not keen on the wholesale slaughter of innocent people that she spearheaded, but I understand her need for revenge. I so desperately want her to have been a real person and it just kills me that we will never really know for sure. Despite Tacitus writing of her, there are some historians who doubt her existence. I choose to ignore them and focus on the fact that there is literally a layer of earth below London referred to as the 'Boudiccan Destruction Layer', which is described as a thick layer of red burnt debris which has been found to cover pottery that dates to before 60 AD in what was then Londinium. Roman skulls were also found a few years ago that were possibly Boudicca's victims. She was real, I know it. She has to be.
Aside from the trip through Londinium, I was just as excited about the jaunt through Bath, perhaps my favorite city in England (though to be fair, I did not get to spend a ton of time in London, which I am sure I would love just as much). There was a whole chapter dedicated to Bath and as the author was describing the great bath, I could picture it in my mind exactly and I was right back there, as I had been physically a few years ago. it's a very calming place, even now with tourists traipsing through. I'd love to be there when it's quiet, but even when it's not, you get this very cool, peaceful feeling. Plus dusk was settling as our time there was ending, and it was very surreal, very cool. I'd like to go back in the future and experience it without my camera so I can just BE there. Also, the curses discovered at Bath are hilarious.
There were many little things throughout the book that really made it for me. Throughout the trek from Rome to Hadrian's Wall as Julius Severus would have done, the author includes the modern name in parentheses after the Roman name. Additionally, with a lot of the quotes the author uses, she then puts its translation into Latin after giving the English version.
Seeing Hadrian's Wall, walking some it, is high on my bucket list. But the author brings up a great point about the families who were displaced by the building of this marvel. These families may have been on that land for hundreds of years, but their homes were demolished after having to be abandoned because the wall was built. That bums me out because those Romans were just kind of jerks all around and didn't care who they displaced in order to try to bring order to the ends of their empire.
The final chapter of the book actually ends at 48%. A post-script follows that is entitled 'Beyond 130 AD: People, Politics, and Places." We kind of find out what happened to Julius Severus after he was recalled to Rome. The politics section goes over what happened to Rome and the 'Places of Note' section gives a bit more information about all the places mentioned or visited in the text. I also appreciated this section because it then gave a little info about what those places are like today.
Before the bibliography at 54%, the author also included a list of the Latin place names and their English counterparts. I found this extremely helpful, as was the bibliography section itself. It reiterated just how well-researched the book is, so even though the actual text was only 48% of the file, it was definitely worth the read.
The only complaint I really have about this one is that due to the asterisks throughout the chapters corresponding with notes at the end of each chapter, a hard copy would have been easier to go back and forth between. There were points where I would get to the notes section at the end of a chapter and sometimes forget what I had especially wanted to know more about. Otherwise, this was a really fantastic read that I enjoyed. Highly recommended.
Really enjoyed this one. Full review to come.
+++++++++++++
http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...
www.facebook.com/AllTheBookBlogNamesA...
www.Twitter.com/SarahsBookNook
Rating: 4 Stars
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I. Loved. This. Book.
Right off the bat I appreciated the use of maps with this book. I am a visual person so I am fond of books that do make good use of maps and photographs. As you begin your journey in Rome and meander your way toward Hadrian's Wall, there are maps along the way to help you trace your journey. I was frustrated by the lack of photos, but naturally as you made your way farther and farther from Rome, there is less that survived elsewhere - especially in Britain of course - to mark all the places the empire expanded to and flourished.
One thing I noticed right away was how well-researched this book is. I like that it is written in the present-tense, as if you, the reader, are making this journey yourself. There were tons of tidbits along the way, things I had never given any thought to, really, despite my deep interest in Roman times and Roman Britain in particular. For example, it would be interesting for us to really know why emperors restricted which kinds of foods could be sold at bars or cook shops along the way. The author suggests that it was because kitchens were such fire hazards, as they were often located in the center of town and it would be kind of a big effing deal if a fire broke out. Another possibility was that the fumes were too nasty or there was simply too much smoke.
Throughout this journey, you travel both by land and by sea. I found the sea portion of the travels just as interesting as that by land - though I was disgusted on many levels to learn that travelers would use tombs as bathrooms. Seriously. Yuck. And so disrespectful. But, back to the sea travel. I thought it was interesting that the ships leaving Roman ports did not actually have accommodations for passengers. I wasn't expecting the Titanic or anything, but basically passengers had to find space on deck or below to sleep. For all the advances ancient Rome made, they couldn't figure out how to build a ship with cabins or some sleeping areas? Seriously?
I find learning about the whole Roman Empire kind of daunting. I mean, it was this vast, sprawling empire and there is so much history, even I almost get bored just because there is SO MUCH to learn. I think this is why I focus more on Roman Britain (plus, Bouddica. Duh...And literally as I typed her name, I realize I spell it differently almost every time. Looking up how I have it labeled for my blog posts, I spelled it 'Boudicca'. Oops. But I have seen it spelled so many different ways and no one can even agree if she was actually real, let alone how to spell her name).
Anyway.
My purpose for mentioning my intimidation by the Roman Empire was to illustrate how little I know about the actual governing and politics. As you are, so to speak, traveling to the edge of the Roman empire to take up your governorship at Hadrian's Wall, it was interesting to learn some detail about the job itself. Imperial Governors had no set term limits. They would be assigned to their post for as long or as short a time as the Emperor chooses. Once the governor has arrived at his post, he must stay until his tour is over. He is not allowed to leave the boundaries of his province for any time. Even if he were conducting official business, referred to as "the fulfilling of a vow", he is not allowed to spend a single night away from his province.
Once we were on the road to Londinium, I was especially interested in this section and beyond because, of course, I love all things related to Britain before 1603. I mean, I don't love Elizabeth I, but that is neither here nor there in relation to this text. This was by far my favorite section, though I really enjoyed the book as a whole. As we enter Londinium, I decided I want my own Transport Officer because I still don't know where most of the stuff in Omaha is after living here for a number of years. To be fair though, I do not actually live in Omaha-proper, nor do I even really care about Omaha, because I hate living here, so there's that. Maybe I don't need a Transport Officer after all.
I loved the section dedicated to Boudicca, the fierce Iceni queen. I'm not keen on the wholesale slaughter of innocent people that she spearheaded, but I understand her need for revenge. I so desperately want her to have been a real person and it just kills me that we will never really know for sure. Despite Tacitus writing of her, there are some historians who doubt her existence. I choose to ignore them and focus on the fact that there is literally a layer of earth below London referred to as the 'Boudiccan Destruction Layer', which is described as a thick layer of red burnt debris which has been found to cover pottery that dates to before 60 AD in what was then Londinium. Roman skulls were also found a few years ago that were possibly Boudicca's victims. She was real, I know it. She has to be.
Aside from the trip through Londinium, I was just as excited about the jaunt through Bath, perhaps my favorite city in England (though to be fair, I did not get to spend a ton of time in London, which I am sure I would love just as much). There was a whole chapter dedicated to Bath and as the author was describing the great bath, I could picture it in my mind exactly and I was right back there, as I had been physically a few years ago. it's a very calming place, even now with tourists traipsing through. I'd love to be there when it's quiet, but even when it's not, you get this very cool, peaceful feeling. Plus dusk was settling as our time there was ending, and it was very surreal, very cool. I'd like to go back in the future and experience it without my camera so I can just BE there. Also, the curses discovered at Bath are hilarious.
There were many little things throughout the book that really made it for me. Throughout the trek from Rome to Hadrian's Wall as Julius Severus would have done, the author includes the modern name in parentheses after the Roman name. Additionally, with a lot of the quotes the author uses, she then puts its translation into Latin after giving the English version.
Seeing Hadrian's Wall, walking some it, is high on my bucket list. But the author brings up a great point about the families who were displaced by the building of this marvel. These families may have been on that land for hundreds of years, but their homes were demolished after having to be abandoned because the wall was built. That bums me out because those Romans were just kind of jerks all around and didn't care who they displaced in order to try to bring order to the ends of their empire.
The final chapter of the book actually ends at 48%. A post-script follows that is entitled 'Beyond 130 AD: People, Politics, and Places." We kind of find out what happened to Julius Severus after he was recalled to Rome. The politics section goes over what happened to Rome and the 'Places of Note' section gives a bit more information about all the places mentioned or visited in the text. I also appreciated this section because it then gave a little info about what those places are like today.
Before the bibliography at 54%, the author also included a list of the Latin place names and their English counterparts. I found this extremely helpful, as was the bibliography section itself. It reiterated just how well-researched the book is, so even though the actual text was only 48% of the file, it was definitely worth the read.
The only complaint I really have about this one is that due to the asterisks throughout the chapters corresponding with notes at the end of each chapter, a hard copy would have been easier to go back and forth between. There were points where I would get to the notes section at the end of a chapter and sometimes forget what I had especially wanted to know more about. Otherwise, this was a really fantastic read that I enjoyed. Highly recommended.
June 14, 2019
Actually closer to 3.5. I have long been fascinated by Roman Britain, so I read this to fill in some gaps. Ms. Riley uses the appointment of a new governor of Brittania during Hadrian's reign (130 C.E. specifically) to show the reader what a journey would have been like to the most far-flung edge of the Roman Empire. Starting in Rome and going both by boat and by road through Gaul to Britannia, she discusses all kinds of things a visitor would have seen, from temples and baths to markets and forts. The Roman place names are mostly used, so the maps provided are both necessary and useful. The newly appointed governor, Sextus Julius Severus, was a real person who successfully served in several Roman posts, but he is not given any character description. Ms. Riley keeps it strictly historical and won't extend her ideas to the fanciful or speculative, although there are a few points where she extrapolates from other Roman colonies what a temple or a fort must have been like.
There are 18 pages of listed sources, and 50 pages of notes, so the documentation is strong. The actual text is just over 230 pages and is not hard to follow for anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Roman history. Recommended for the amateur historian.
There are 18 pages of listed sources, and 50 pages of notes, so the documentation is strong. The actual text is just over 230 pages and is not hard to follow for anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Roman history. Recommended for the amateur historian.
February 7, 2023
A delightful idea - a guidebook from Rome to Hadrian’s Wall in 2nd century! Fascinating detail, enlightening chapter notes and a readable style. It does read like a guidebook too. I learned an enormous amount. I do wish, for the sake of barbarians such as I, that English translation of Latin notes would have been provided. As with Gibbon, Ms Riley obviously feels her readers are more intelligent than we actually are. How lovely to be overestimated for a change!
May 22, 2017
The author takes us on a tour of Britain in 130 BCE with the newly appointed governor Sextus Julius Severus. He visits many towns and forts, including Londinium and Bath, ending at Hadrian's wall. There's a lot of detail here, and the final chapter describes the various museums and exhibits that one can visit today. On the one hand, it was really interesting, but on the other hand, it was kind of boring. There wasn't much about the people on the trip or in the towns. It would be a great book to take on a tour of England, though.
May 26, 2020
Engaging and full of fascinating details. (All the better if you've actually been to Bath and seen the Roman baths or the Museum of London and seen that leather "bikini" Riley mentions, as I have been fortunate enough to do.)
April 28, 2022
At Hadrian’s Walls right now!!! review coming after.
February 12, 2016
Having just visited Hadrian's Wall this past autumn, I was intrigued to see a new book about Roman Britain. This is a history with many footnotes and endnotes but very readable (in fact the actual book is only half the book, with the notes, index, etc. filling the other half). The author uses the premise of wondering how the Romans assigned to Britain actually traveled there - in this case the governor from AD 130-133, Julius Severus. This time period was a relatively short time after Hadrian had visited Britain and ordered the Wall to be constructed. Britain has a wealth of Roman artifacts in various spots throughout the country and these have helped the author create this history.
Some of these artifacts are amazing -- especially those retrieved from Vindolanda, a Roman fort that predated the Wall but is located quite close to it and where actual writing has been retrieved due to boggy soil which managed to preserve it. Although most of the book details how Julius Severus could have traveled around Britain (because all governors were expected to do so and report back to the Emperor) it starts with how he would have traveled from Rome to Britain. As the author notes, much of this is conjecture, however there are enough clues to make it an informed conjecture.
If you are interested in the Romans, especially in their far flung colony of Britannia, you will enjoy this book.
Some of these artifacts are amazing -- especially those retrieved from Vindolanda, a Roman fort that predated the Wall but is located quite close to it and where actual writing has been retrieved due to boggy soil which managed to preserve it. Although most of the book details how Julius Severus could have traveled around Britain (because all governors were expected to do so and report back to the Emperor) it starts with how he would have traveled from Rome to Britain. As the author notes, much of this is conjecture, however there are enough clues to make it an informed conjecture.
If you are interested in the Romans, especially in their far flung colony of Britannia, you will enjoy this book.
October 1, 2023
Another in my series of books to get me more informed about Roman Britain in preparation for walking Hadrian's wall. I personally find these slightly fictionalized but very factual histories weird. Here we imagine one Sextus Julius Severus, newly appointed Governor of Brittania taking a meandering trip from Rome to Hadrian's Wall about eight years after its construction. You don't actually need to remember that, because he will never develop a personality of any sort, you will simply get descriptions of all the towns he would see along the way with some of the history thrown in. It's more readable than you would think, but ultimately I found it a bit dull, though I did persevere. Something I don't always do with non-fiction.
My knowledge of Roman history (much less the British piece of it) is limited to Rosemary Sutcliff novels and having read (at least some of) History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Volume 1 many eons ago as a freshman in college. There were times when a refresher course might have been useful.
There are quite a few maps in the book which would have been more helpful if they had consistently had both Roman and contemporary place names. There's a twenty page bibliography and more than twice that many pages of footnotes.
I only skimmed the footnotes which is too bad because it was really interesting to see how Riley dug out information from unusual sources. For example this sentence from the beginning of chapter three: " The journey from Rome takes, at its quickest, the best part of a week." In the footnote you read that we know this because Tacitus describes how assassins were sent by Nero to kill one Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix and it took them six days to get from Rome to Marseilles.
I can recommend this book to someone interested in learning more about daily life in Roman Britain and in its geography. Otherwise, you'll have more fun with Rosemary Sutcliff even if, as we keep learning more about Roman Britain, we have to admit some of her plots got some of the details wrong.
My knowledge of Roman history (much less the British piece of it) is limited to Rosemary Sutcliff novels and having read (at least some of) History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Volume 1 many eons ago as a freshman in college. There were times when a refresher course might have been useful.
There are quite a few maps in the book which would have been more helpful if they had consistently had both Roman and contemporary place names. There's a twenty page bibliography and more than twice that many pages of footnotes.
I only skimmed the footnotes which is too bad because it was really interesting to see how Riley dug out information from unusual sources. For example this sentence from the beginning of chapter three: " The journey from Rome takes, at its quickest, the best part of a week." In the footnote you read that we know this because Tacitus describes how assassins were sent by Nero to kill one Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix and it took them six days to get from Rome to Marseilles.
I can recommend this book to someone interested in learning more about daily life in Roman Britain and in its geography. Otherwise, you'll have more fun with Rosemary Sutcliff even if, as we keep learning more about Roman Britain, we have to admit some of her plots got some of the details wrong.
May 9, 2021
The Edge of Empire takes the reader on a journey from Rome to Hadrian's Wall by following a "fictional" journey of a newly appointed governor of the province. The new governor, Sextus Julius Severus, leaves Rome with ample time to reach his appointed new office.
The author does a magnificent job describing the route not only by mapping the main roads for us but by describing what a traveler would see, smell, and experience along that particular route. It becomes clear that there are many roads and many possible routes but we are presented with what is an amalgam of those routes.
Need to get to Britannia from Rome? You'll want a ship to cover the distance fairly quickly (if the gods are with you). By the same token, you don't want to sail through the Pillars of Hercules into Oceanus unless you REALLY have to. Instead, head to Gaul and complete your trip overland.
We are treated to excellent descriptions of roads, ports, ships, and the necessaries of travel - accommodations, food, bathing, vehicles, and the like. How far does one travel daily in 130 CE when your choices are fairly limited? Very few travel by horseback (too expensive), some ride in unsprung carts of two or four wheels, but most walk.
And then there are the required social customs, the foods that change from Rome's luxurious and varied banquets to Britannia's restricted supplies (but the oysters are highly recommended).
The Wall itself, once reached, is described in detail covering most of its history if not in depth in a well-done if brief time-lapse. Like Rome, Hadrian's Wall wasn't built in a day.
If you have an interest in Roman history, ancient British history, or simply want a well-written non-fiction work to read, you'll find what you want here.
The author does a magnificent job describing the route not only by mapping the main roads for us but by describing what a traveler would see, smell, and experience along that particular route. It becomes clear that there are many roads and many possible routes but we are presented with what is an amalgam of those routes.
Need to get to Britannia from Rome? You'll want a ship to cover the distance fairly quickly (if the gods are with you). By the same token, you don't want to sail through the Pillars of Hercules into Oceanus unless you REALLY have to. Instead, head to Gaul and complete your trip overland.
We are treated to excellent descriptions of roads, ports, ships, and the necessaries of travel - accommodations, food, bathing, vehicles, and the like. How far does one travel daily in 130 CE when your choices are fairly limited? Very few travel by horseback (too expensive), some ride in unsprung carts of two or four wheels, but most walk.
And then there are the required social customs, the foods that change from Rome's luxurious and varied banquets to Britannia's restricted supplies (but the oysters are highly recommended).
The Wall itself, once reached, is described in detail covering most of its history if not in depth in a well-done if brief time-lapse. Like Rome, Hadrian's Wall wasn't built in a day.
If you have an interest in Roman history, ancient British history, or simply want a well-written non-fiction work to read, you'll find what you want here.
July 26, 2019
I enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was pretty clever for a history book: following along at the key points on interest between Rome and Hadrian's Wall, focusing primarily in Roman Britannia. Riley did a good job at interspersing details about a specific place with general information about being on a ship, being a Roman governor, eating, life as a soldier, etc...
As a fan of Roman history and a recent visitor to Britain, I had a high level of interest in this book, and it provided some good research into the time and place.
However, I do not think more casual readers will find much in it. While Riley is a good writer, she does get bogged down in technical details too much; for example, there seems to be no pattern on whether something was a footnote or an endnote, and I got confused by them sometimes. Also, I get that for some towns or geographic areas the Roman-era name is not known, but it was inconsistent on whether the modern British or ancient Roman name was used; the most glaring example being some of the chapter titles in the Contents did not match the actual title in the book because one would use the British name and the other the Roman.
Overall, this was not a perfect book, but it was an enjoyable, enlightening read.
As a fan of Roman history and a recent visitor to Britain, I had a high level of interest in this book, and it provided some good research into the time and place.
However, I do not think more casual readers will find much in it. While Riley is a good writer, she does get bogged down in technical details too much; for example, there seems to be no pattern on whether something was a footnote or an endnote, and I got confused by them sometimes. Also, I get that for some towns or geographic areas the Roman-era name is not known, but it was inconsistent on whether the modern British or ancient Roman name was used; the most glaring example being some of the chapter titles in the Contents did not match the actual title in the book because one would use the British name and the other the Roman.
Overall, this was not a perfect book, but it was an enjoyable, enlightening read.
August 14, 2019
This book was a long read, not because it was a slog, but because its so packed with information and detail that I had to stop and digest for a while like eating a rich banquet.
A historian's fictional account of one of Hadrian's top Generals taking his job as Governor of the British colonies, this is ancient Rome come alive. Each step along the way is packed with rich information told in an engaging, interesting style with humor and human interest along the way. The footnotes take up a full third of the book's length and are well worth consulting as you read.
Any fan of Roman history or especially someone interested in writing any stories set in this time period would benefit greatly from this book.
A historian's fictional account of one of Hadrian's top Generals taking his job as Governor of the British colonies, this is ancient Rome come alive. Each step along the way is packed with rich information told in an engaging, interesting style with humor and human interest along the way. The footnotes take up a full third of the book's length and are well worth consulting as you read.
Any fan of Roman history or especially someone interested in writing any stories set in this time period would benefit greatly from this book.
March 18, 2020
This book is a fascinating look at what a Roman governor may have seen, experienced, and had to deal with when traveling to Rome to govern the province of Britannia in 130 AD, soon after Hadrian ordered the famous Wall to be built. The historical information is detailed and fascinating, and I found myself reading rather slowly to make sure I didn't miss anything.
At the end of the book, the author outlines the places mentioned and talks about archaeological discoveries and where one can go to see artifacts from these places, too. I picked this book up since I had originally planned to walk the Wall this summer, but due to world events, it may have to wait for another year. This information will be really useful when I finally make the trek.
At the end of the book, the author outlines the places mentioned and talks about archaeological discoveries and where one can go to see artifacts from these places, too. I picked this book up since I had originally planned to walk the Wall this summer, but due to world events, it may have to wait for another year. This information will be really useful when I finally make the trek.
October 13, 2022
Set in the year 130, Journey to Britannia follows the journey of Julius Severus, the newly-appointed governor as he sets out for, arrives in, and travels through Britain to inspect the province. It's a factual account but Bronwen Riley makes assumptions, all supported by evidence detailed in the notes, that allow her to fill out the detail of what Severus would have encountered on his journey - the food, the architecture, the condition of the troops. It's an interesting and well-presented account but it needs a better map than anything provided in the book to follow the journey properly. I used the 156 Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britain which is available online and which works very well with the text.
September 1, 2019
A truly excellent and very readable guide to Roman Britain, focused mostly around the year 130 CE, with some digressions to discuss earlier and later periods. The book is not intended for specialists but for a general audience, and so can be enjoyably read with little or no background knowledge of the topic. I think I found one misspelling in the cited Latin at one point, but it's not going to be a problem generally. I would heartily recommend the book for anyone with an interest in the topic, and I must say that I found it very inspiring - now I want to take a trip to Britain and visit as many of the old Roman sites as possible!
January 24, 2019
I am a sucker for books about the Roman times in Britain, and thought this would be an interesting take on the topic. It was a good and interesting read describing a journey by a Roman leader from Rome to Britain and a circuit of prominent sites in Roman Britain. However, the book's adherence to facts and minimal speculation was frustrating to me. I did not leave with a much better feeling of how British lived and interacted in their daily lives with Romans. It does touch on it here and there, but I was looking for more. I guess that is where the usual historical novels have to pick up.
May 26, 2019
The level of detail described in this book is incredible, but the dry writing style does make it a slog to get through. I loved the idea of taking a "journey" from Rome to Hadrian's Wall, examining each place someone traveling would pass, getting some of the history and layout of different places. Unfortunately, the book does go off on constant rants on one small topic, taking away from the storytelling itself. If you are curious to learn more about Ancient Rome, however, I can easily recommend this book.
September 16, 2025
Absolutely chalk full of interesting information. The author draws on extensive knowledge of archaeological, geographical and multi-cultural world during AD 130 to take readers on a journey from Roman to Britannia.
As you travel, there are stops along the way where you visit past events as well as the present AD 130. I found myself getting a little lost sometimes between the distant past, the past of the book and the present; although I'm not sure that the author's fault. It's just so much information and the Latin names and Roman titles can make your head spin.
As you travel, there are stops along the way where you visit past events as well as the present AD 130. I found myself getting a little lost sometimes between the distant past, the past of the book and the present; although I'm not sure that the author's fault. It's just so much information and the Latin names and Roman titles can make your head spin.
September 11, 2020
A clever way to look at the Roman Empire during the reign of Hadrian: describe the experience(s) of traveling from Rome, the Great City to Britannia, at the time the outermost province of the Empire and the very edge of the world. This set up allows Riley to naturally bring up travel, shipping, trade, food, crime (Rome built great roads but they couldn't keep them safe) politics, buildings, religion and everyday life. As I find Rome a fascinating place to read about, this really worked for me.
October 22, 2022
Interesting book with extensive index, appendices etc. I read it specifically to get a picture of what Roman Britain would have been like at its heyday, and as preparation for reading another book on Sub Roman Britain. The Roman Empire was an incredible phenomenon in human history, and the extent of the Roman military occupation and changes made to the original inhabitants' lives is well-depicted in this book. It is occasionally dry and repetitive, but overall readable and informative.
June 10, 2017
I truly enjoyed traveling from Rome to Hadrian's Wall in the year 138 and marveled at the organization, record keeping, building projects of the Romans. The sites, smells, and tastes came alive. All was fairly positive until the last chapter where the reader learns of the harm this created for the many vanquished tribes.
April 10, 2025
It took me this long to come to the conclusion that Hadrian and Aelius were one and the same. And, how long have I claimed Latin is my favourite subject? Wow, twenty-one years.
The Oxford link was the only website that did not work from the back. I might try again when I'm closer since the Cambridge people have told me it's all the same.
The Oxford link was the only website that did not work from the back. I might try again when I'm closer since the Cambridge people have told me it's all the same.
March 9, 2019
An interesting way to take the reader on a tour of Roman Britain, a historical travelogue with little bits of flavor text to try to lighten up the sometimes very dense onslaught of Latin military terminology.
February 1, 2022
This book is written in a most engaging & easily read fashion. I enjoyed reading it purely for it's own sake but the academic in me was even better pleased by the comprehensive footnotes & Bibliography included in the volume
May 16, 2022
A detailed and hence slow moving book, which covers a journey from Rome to Northern England. Outlines just how sophisticated the Roman Empire really was. Recommend, but be prepared for a lot of small details about places, people and palaces. SM
April 3, 2025
I loved this book! I read every footnote, looked at each map a hundred times, sounded out each Latin inscription - and just had such fun!
Gave a real insight into what travelling around the Roman Empire, particularly through Britain, would have actually been like in AD 130.
Gave a real insight into what travelling around the Roman Empire, particularly through Britain, would have actually been like in AD 130.
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