The conqueror’s gift. Roman ethnography and the end of antiquity. By Michael Maas. Pp. xx + 433 incl. 6 figs and 3 maps. Princeton–Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2025. £42. 978 0 691 25902 4

Key Points

• The aim is to analyze the role of Roman ethnography in shaping cultural identity at the end of antiquity.
• Literature review of Roman ethnographic texts
• Analysis of historical narratives
• Comparison of cultural exchanges due to conquest
• Roman ethnography significantly influenced identity formation in conquered regions
• Cultural exchanges were crucial in understanding the transition from antiquity to medieval times
• Ethnographic insights reshaped historical narratives about conquest and integration