Palmyrenes Abroad: Diasporas from Rome to Mesopotamia and Beyond

Palmyra was a unique place within the Roman Empire. The city, located in a Syrian oasis, preserved a culture and social organization of its own distinct character. It was closely intertwined with a larger region that extended beyond the boundaries of the Empire. Its livelihood was sustained through long-distance trade, not through agriculture or the production of commodities. And the people of Palmyra remained identifiable and distinguishable as Palmyrenes even when they left the oasis and established a life far from their homeland. Therefore, one can rightly speak of a Palmyrene diaspora, of which this book provides the first in-depth study.