Colosseum, Rome

Scope

Introduction

LC Subject Headings

LC Call Numbers

Ancient Sources

Source Books

Bibliographies

Dictionaries and
      Encyclopedias

Periodicals

Listservs

Maps and Geographical
      Resources

Biographies

Primaporta Augustus, Vatican Museums

For a complete and frequently updated calendar of Classics-related events in the Chapel Hill area, see the Fasti Carolinenses.



Last updated December 10, 1999


Send any questions or comments to:
dtimko@email.unc.edu
The Administration of the Roman Empire: a Pathfinder
compiled by
David A. Timko

This pathfinder is designed as a tool for the student of Roman administrative history and it is limited to research materials related to the study of the Roman Empire and its administration. Topics such as the Senate and Roman public life, the provinces and provincial administration, and the like are the main focus. The pathfinder is chiefly concentrated on the imperial period (i.e. from roughly 31 B.C. on); however, works pertaining wholly or in part to the Republic (ca. 509 B.C.-31 B.C.) have not been excluded, at least in those instances when their exclusion might have been felt to have been unreasonably inflexible and dogmatic. A conscious attempt, however, has been made to exclude sources of information that concentrate on some of the more "popular" aspects of the empire, such as works on the peculiarities of the Roman emperors. Biographical reference sources are listed here, since prosopography is fundamental to the study of the workings of the Roman Empire. But generally only works that are at once scholarly and accessible to the undergraduate will be found here.

A further qualification of this pathfinder is that the sources of information referred to are available to students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Too often the study of the Roman Empire, especially at the undergraduate level, degenerates into a survey of the idiosyncrasies of the emperors and of the allegedly debauched lifestyle of the Roman elite. Such an approach to Roman history conveys entirely the wrong impression and is of little pedagogical value. Far more interesting and rewarding to the student of Roman history is the study of its institutions and administration, both because of its inherent interest as well as its wider applicability (e.g. its use in providing a different perspective for our understanding of modern society and government). This vision has at least partly been inspired by the efforts and ambitions of the Kenan Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Richard J. A. Talbert.

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Useful Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) for conducting searches of UNC's online catalog for material related to this topic include:
  • Rome -- History
  • Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-284 A.D.
  • Rome -- Politics and government -- 30 B.C.-476 A.D.
  • Rome -- Provinces -- Administration
  • Emperors -- Rome -- Biography

These Subject Headings are broad and will retrieve a large number of titles held by UNC libraries. Note that many of these titles will not be in English. You may wish to limit your search to titles in English.

Sometimes it is useful simply to browse the relevant section of the stacks in search of material. Most books pertaining to the Roman empire and its administration can be found in Library of Congress call number class DG, which covers Roman history. Some material may also be found in LC class DE, which covers the history of the ancient Mediterranean more generally. These sections of the stacks are on the fourth floor of Davis Library at UNC; the House Undergraduate Library collection can also be used (see the UNC Libraries home page). More specifically, works dealing with political theory of ancient Rome can be found at JC85-JC89, located on the sixth floor of Davis. Books on Roman Law and Roman legal history are primarily in call number class KJA, also on the sixth floor.

Ancient texts are fundamental to a study of the ancient world and they can be found in LC call number class PA, located on the sixth floor of Davis as well as in UL (see further under ANCIENT SOURCES). A less well-known resource is the Classics Department library collection, located on the third floor of Murphey Hall. This collection contains most basic works in the field, especially reference works and ancient texts. Books in this collection are not listed in the UNC Library's online catalog. The Classics library maintains a separate card catalog, which must be consulted on-site.

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Students must have direct access to the original source material in order to do original and independent work. These sources were, of course, originally written in (primarily) either ancient Greek or Latin; however, most of these sources, at least the literary ones, have now been translated into English. The quality of the translations varies somewhat. Reasonably good Greek and Latin texts, with reliable English translations on facing pages, can be found in the Loeb classical library series of ancient texts. Some of the translations are more up-to-date than are others. Latin texts are in LC class PA6156; Greek texts in PA3612. These texts can be found on the fourth floor of Davis. UL also contains a good collection; the Sloane Art Library, a somewhat smaller one.

Not surprisingly, a number of sites have appeared on the Internet in recent years through which ancient texts can be accessed. Perhaps the most successful of these is the Persus Project, which is hosted by Tufts University. Here the user can find access to some (but far from all) of the better known ancient sources (Loeb text and translation). Links are provided in the text for unfamiliar terms, names, place names and the like to a useful online encyclopedia. Greek and Latin lexikons are also available here -- this is a boon to the student of the ancient languages (especially Greek), since the electronic format allows for easy searching of unfamiliar forms of words.

But the best way to search (virtually) the entire corpus of Greek and Latin literature is with the CD-ROM product PHI-5 Workplace (for Latin) and PHI-7 Workplace (for Greek). Simply key in a word or phrase (in the original language) and citations are returned in a matter of minutes, perhaps seconds. Published by Silver Mountain Software, use of these CD-ROMs is self-explanatory. This invaluable tool is located in the Classics Department in Murphey Hall.

One of the most important research tools for the student of the administration of the Roman Empire, especially for the undergraduate, but also for the more advanced student and even the professional scholar, are source books which contain the ancient documents themselves. Good source books gather together documents that are not readily available in English translation and may be dispersed in various locations around the library.

  • Lewis, Naphtali and Meyer Reinhold, eds. Roman Civilization: selected readings. 2 vols. 3rd ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990 DG13 .L4 1990

    Of all available source books for Roman history, this is by far the best for beginning student. Literary and epigraphical (i.e. inscriptions) sources are included. The translations are lively and the passages are well-selected. Copies can be found in Davis and UL.

  • Sherk, Robert K., ed. Rome and the Greek East to the death of Augustus. (Translated documents of Greece and Rome; v.4) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984 DE86 .R65 1984

  • Sherk, Robert K., ed. The Roman Empire: Augustus to Hadrian. (Translated documents of Greece and Rome; v.6) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988 DG275 .R65 1988

    These two volumes serve as companion pieces. They contain many important documents of interest to the administrative historian or student, including many hard to find inscriptions, some of which are translated into English for the first time. Literary sources are intentionally excluded. Includes bibliography and notes.

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The Internet is, of course, a burgeoning source of information for the study of ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The Internet offers the promise of easy searching and up-to-date information. Traditionally, however, research into Roman history has been a time-consuming and tedious process: the field is interdisciplinary by nature and research is conducted in any number of different languages. In part because of this, literature in the field is not very well indexed. There are a few tools of fundamental importance:

  • L'Année philologique. Paris: Société d'édition "Les Belles Lettres," 1928- Davis Reference Z7016.M35 A5

    Simply the best and most indispensable resource tool. Even though it is large and cumbersome and covers all aspects of classical antiquity (and thus contains references to much literature not of direct concern to the historian), its comprehensiveness is its chief virtue. This annual publication sets out to index all books and articles written worldwide in a given year; it provides a brief synopsis for all articles cited and references to reviews for monographs. The articles come not only from journals, but also from collections of essays. The synopses are in English, French, or German, but synopses of English articles are generally in English. A reading knowledge of French is not necessary to make use of this serial. Citations are arranged topically in each volume. The "Histoire" (History) section is one obvious place to turn; references might also been found under "Droit" (Law) as well as elsewhere. Each volume also contains a helpful index of the names of authors as well as an ancient name index. Unfortunately, there is no cumulative index. Also, publication tends to run several years behind; the most current issue is for 1996. Although timeliness is not as important in the study of ancient history as it is in some field, this is a severe deficiency.

    Fortunately, we now also have the CD-ROM version of L'Annee philologique, which goes under the name of Database of Classical Bibliography (DCB), and is available in Davis Reference Electronic Resources. This useful tool goes some ways to rectifying many of the deficiencies of L'Année philologique, in that the entire contents are searchable, by author, title, keyword, etc. Cross-references are also included. However, it covers only the period 1974-1990, and so is useless for recent publications.

  • Gnomon. Munich: C.H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1925- PA3.G6

    Current bibliography is best indexed in the German periodical Gnomon. Each issue of this monthly serial contains citations, again organized by topic, to scholarly literature, and can be of great help to the student of the administration of the Roman Empire. It can be found on the sixth floor of Davis (call number PA3.G6); current issues are in the Serials Reading Room on the first floor. Even more helpful is the online version of Gnomon, Gnomon Online, which permits searches by keyword, etc. Citations to articles at least as recent as 1998 can be found. Cross-references are also provided and these are very useful as well. However, the student who cannot read German may have some trouble with this database, at least initially.

  • TOCS-IN

    Another resource can be used to supplement Gnomon Online -- Tables of Contents of Journals of Interest to Classicists (TOCS-IN), which "makes available -- for searching, browsing, or downloading -- the tables of contents of over 150 journals of interest to classicists." References to, and sometimes even abstracts of, very recent articles can be found using this search tool, though it is less inclusive than either Gnomon or especially L'Année philologique.

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The best place to start your research is often with a dictionary or encyclopedia. Such sources can also be used as ready reference tools. The following sources are all non-circulating. Location is Davis Reference except when noted otherwise.

  • The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996 Davis Reference DE5 .O9 1996

    The OCD is by far the best dictionary of the classical world, at least in the English language. Authoritative, yet accessible and concise, entries are by leading scholars in the field. Short bibliographies append the articles. Personal names, place names, and a surprisingly large number of technical terms have entries. Frequently, the technical terms are in the original Latin or Greek, and it is important that the Latinless and/or Greekless student be aware of this. Copies (non-circulating only) are in Davis Reference, UL, and the Art Library, as well as in the Classics Library.

  • Speake, Graham, ed. A Dictionary of Ancient History. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994 Davis Reference DE5 .D53 1994

    Explicitly a "layman's" guide. Not as complete or as definitive as the OCD, but a useable substitute or supplement.

  • The Cambridge Ancient History. 2nd ed. London: Cambridge University Press, 1970- Davis Reference D57 .C252

    Not an encyclopedia, but this work demands inclusion since it is the most authoritative reference work in the field of ancient history. Articles are by known experts in the field. In addition to Davis Reference, copies of this multivolume set are available for check out in Davis; another set is in UL and cannot be checked out. Volumes 7 through 9 cover the Republic; 10 through 13 the imperial period. A problem with this work is that even though most of these volumes have been published fairly recently, some of the material is dated.

  • Grant, Michael and Rachel Kitzinger, eds., Civilization of the Ancient Mediterranean: Greece and Rome. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1988 Davis Reference DE59 .C55 1988

    Contains good introductory essays on a wide array of topics of potential interest by known authorities. Essays on such subjects as taxation, ruler worship, Roman administration. A useful encyclopedia, accessible to the undergraduate.

  • Perseus Project

    For those who prefer the online environment.

  • Argos

    This is "a limited area search [engine] of the ancient and medieval internet," and can be used much as an encyclopedia or dictionary. Since it is a limited area search, the hits are far more likely to be of use to the researcher or student than those from a general search engine.

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No scholarly journals are devoted exclusively to the study of the administration of the empire. But there are a number of very good journals which deal specifically with Roman history and culture, and many more which deal with ancient Mediterranean history more generally. Listed below are only a select few of the more important such journals; the selection concentrates on journals that include scholarly reviews of recently published books, since this sort of information is often invaluable to the student.
  • The Journal of Roman Studies. London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911- DG11.J7

    This venerable annual is considered by many the foremost journal in the field and much pertaining to the administration of the empire can be found here. The writing is typically extremely scholarly and difficult, and undergraduates may find it tough going. Each issue contains a large section of reviews and review articles It can be found on the fourth floor of Davis

  • Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt. Berlin: W. de Gruyter, 1972- DG209 .T36

    A German periodical (which contains many articles in English) that is particularly strong in administrative matters. On-line version is now also available at (http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/biblio/anrw.html). Searches can be limited to English. Site can be accessed via VRoma, but given the importance of this journal, it merits being mentioned independently.

  • Classical Review. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907- PA1 .C6

    A standard review journal. Current issues can be found in the Serials Reading Room on the first floor of Davis. Bound back issues are on the sixth floor of Davis.

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Probably the best and most authoritative listserv for information concerning the Roman Empire is ancien-l (http://tanelorn.canis.uiuc.edu/ancien-l/). While this listserv deals with the history of the ancient Mediterranean world more generally, it is a good resource for the student of the Roman Empire. Some well-known authorities in the field have been known to post to this list, and good answers can be gotten to even esoteric questions. The list is unmoderated. Additionally, all postings to the list have been archived, dating back to November 1994; the archive can, moreover, be searched. Directions for subscribing to the listserv can be found at the archive site.

Maps are an essential, if overlooked and undervalued, tool for the study of the ancient world. Unfortunately, no comprehensive atlas of the ancient world has been completed in over a century, despite various efforts. This deficiency will soon be remedied by a project being carried out here at UNC-Chapel Hill.

  • Hammond, N. G. L. Atlas of the Greek and Roman World in Antiquity. Park Ridge, N.J.: Noyes Press, 1981 Davis Reference G1033 .A84 1981

    At the time of writing, arguably the single best available atlas of the ancient world. Its shortcomings, however, are many: poor color quality and large scale among them. It can be found in the Reference Cage.

  • Interactive Ancient Mediterranean

    This site is the result of more than a decade of work directed by UNC-CH History Professor, Richard J. A. Talbert. It is just part of the much larger Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, the (print) publication of which is forthcoming (by Princeton University Press). This work surely will make all other cartographical resources of the ancient world obsolete.

This section could perhaps more accurately be called "Prosopographies" rather than Biographies. One difficulty involved in the study of Roman history is simply keeping the names straight. Historians today do not possess much information about the Roman world, but they do know quite the names (and often nothing more) of a relatively large number of the inhabitants (mostly the elite) of that world. There are a number of standard prosopographical tools that can help bring some order to this chaos.

  • Broughton, T. R. S. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic. 2 vols. and supplement. New York: American Philological Association, 1951-52, 1986 DG83.5.A1 B73 1984

    A magisterial work. Lists all Republican office holders, along with references to ancient sources. Covers up to 31 B.C. Located on fourth floor of Davis; also in Classics Library.

  • Bowder, Diana, ed. Who Was Who in the Roman World, 753 B.C.-A.D. 476. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1980 Davis Reference/UL DG203.W46

    A dependable resource, especially for the undergraduate. More detailed information can be found in the OCD.

  • Jones, A. H. M. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. 3 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1971- DG203.5 .J6

    Covers the period stretching from A.D. 260 through A.D. 641. Located in the Epigraphy Room, which is on the sixth floor of Davis.

  • De Imperatoribus Romanis: an Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors

    Again, for those who favor the online environment. Good biographies for the undergraduate level. With stemmata and futher bibliography.

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