This volume constitutes the first corpus of mosaic pavements for central and eastern Crete, and reflects the growing number of scholarly publications on, and interest in, the topic of Roman Greece over the last few decades. The manuscript stems from the author's dissertation, The Mosaics of Roman Crete, and is accompanied by an Appendix with an updated catalogue of the Roman period sites first published by I. F. Sanders in 1982. Sweetman, however, has gone beyond the task of merely presenting a descriptive catalogue, with an iconographic, technological and chronological assessment of the mosaics, by introducing novel approaches and setting a new standard for the study of mosaics. As the author indicates, her methodology is both ‘original’ and ‘innovative’ as it embraces an holistic approach to the subject matter by turning to a variety of disciplines in order to provide a better understanding of the continuity and change in the social fabric of the Roman province of Crete between the first century b.c. and the seventh century a.d.

S. opens with a helpful introduction and an account of the archaeological evidence for Cretan society. A study of the distribution patterns of floor mosaics (ch. 2) along major arterial routes and at coastal sites is used to trace the development of trade on the island, the changes in iconography and style, and the variety of settlement patterns. Consequently, during the first century a.d., mosaics of an Italian black-and-white style appear along the south coast where the first major trade route was established (ch. 3). Later, between the second and fourth centuries, multi-panel polychrome mosaics became fashionable and are found along the north coast where trade with the northern Aegean developed, while the carpet-style geometric polychrome pattern with the unique ‘thick guilloche’ design spread throughout the island in Late Antiquity. Furthermore, urban centres along coastal regions (ch. 4) appear to have been favoured between the first century b.c. and the fourth century a.d., whereas in Late Antiquity rural inland sites flourished as mosaics were primarily located in churches in the countryside. Within these urban centres (ch. 5), mosaics may be used to distinguish between non-residential (industrial) and residential areas (92), or possibly even identify distinct neighbourhoods of settlers from the West perhaps, as conjectured by S. based on the presence of black-and-white pavements at Knossos, in the north of the valley (103). A technical analysis of the pavements indicates that the Roman period craftsmen and workshops appear to have been local/regional (ch. 6), and two major workshops of the third century are identified by S.: the Knossos and Irakleion mosaic groups and the Chania-Kisamos group (136). By the sixth century, however, a koine style developed and late antique mosaics, which show signs of repair and long use, point to connections with the East.

In the final chapter (ch. 7), S. examines the mosaics within a more theoretical framework and surmises that despite the presence of western-style mosaics (black-and-white) and architectural elements (such as houses with impluvia, podium temples, amphitheatres), Crete (and especially Knossos and Gortyn) was never ‘romanized’. The island may have taken on some of the external ‘trappings’ (137) of Roman culture, but was not culturally and economically dominated by the conqueror. In fact, the changes that did occur are directly linked to the island's strategic location, and its increasing involvement in the broader ‘Roman network society’ (150–1). In essence, Crete contributed to the general economic stability of the Empire by providing new communication routes (137), and serving as an entrepôt that allowed both the island to prosper economically and Rome to reap the benefits. Such a relationship between conquered and conqueror is, according to S., ‘a symbiotic affiliation’ (144), and one that allowed Crete to retain its regional identity and both parties to benefit economically.

Future investigations may focus on the discussion of settlement patterns on Crete. S. observes that there is no real evidence for the presence of rural villas on the island until Late Antiquity. But it is not clear in the text what constitutes a villa site in the first place, as the author seems to rely on Sanders' vague use of the word (30). What components (cemetery, baths, subsidiary structures) make up a villa, what are its dimensions and what distinguishes a small villa from a farmstead? Roman villas in Italy and the provinces varied in size and function, from small farms to large estates of an agricultural, suburban or coastal character. As S. does make reference to fish farming activities on the island (12), could the first-century Roman seaside ‘country house’ at Markys Yialos for example belong to a villa maritima? Conversely, could villae suburbanae have surrounded major urban centres such as Gortyn or Knossos where areas of ‘agricultural processing’ and ‘possible dye works’ have been identified ‘on the edge of the urban space’ (94)? Although Cretans may have favoured urban living as the author maintains, these centres must have relied for their food supply on a network of nearby farms/villas, similar to that found in the Roman colony of Patras. Future exploration in other regions of Greece (Peloponnesos, Epiros and Macedonia) where villas were established during the Roman period will provide important comparanda for the study of Cretan villas.

In sum, this monograph is an admirable undertaking which sets the standard for future syntheses of mosaic pavements in other areas of the Roman Empire. As the first and only corpus of Cretan mosaics, it constitutes an indispensable reference/source book and makes a valuable contribution to the study of mosaic pavements in the Aegean region under Roman rule.