Bishops, community and authority in late Roman society. Northwestern Hispania, c. 370 – 470 C.E. By Rebecca A. Devlin. (Late Antique and Early Medieval Iberia.) Pp. 409 incl. 18 figs. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2024. £150. 978 94 6372 915 4

Key Points

• The aim is to analyze the interplay between bishops, authority, and community structures in late Roman Northwestern Hispania.
• Literary and archaeological sources are examined to understand social dynamics.
• Focus on the period from c. 370 to 470 C.E.
• Contextual analysis of authority in community roles.
• Bishops played a pivotal role in shaping community authority.
• Interactions between religious and civic structures were complex and evolved over time.
• The societal role of bishops contributed to the transformation of late Roman values.