This book employs the abundant epigraphy found at Palmyra and elsewhere to capture the key elements of Palmyrene identity during the city's impressive growth from the first century b.c. to the third century a.d. Andrew Smith frames this analysis in the context of Palmyra's development as a regional power together with its position on the periphery of the Roman and Parthian/Sasanian empires. In overall terms the book admirably succeeds in its endeavour and will serve as an important study of Palmyrene identity and epigraphy.

S. begins by establishing the book's overall purpose which is to investigate Palmyrene identity at an individual and group level in two broad contexts: one which locates Palmyra at the centre of a network of power established on its own terms and the other which places Palmyra at the periphery of imperial Roman and Parthian power. S. indicates that the interaction between settled and pastoral peoples in the oasis around which the city grew and its impact on identity, especially in the period in which Roman power grew in the Near East, is one of the book's key themes. A useful summary of current anthropological, sociological and historical theories of identity and how these might be applied to an analysis of the Palmyrenes is also provided.

An important emphasis throughout the book is the key rôle played by tribal groups in the formation and development of the polis of Palmyra and how the tribes contributed to Palmyrene communal identity. In relation to the ongoing importance of the tribes, S. rightly emphasizes that there has been too sharp a distinction between populations of the city of Palmyra and pastoralists of the surrounding countryside. Epigraphic evidence is employed to analyse an increasing population shift from pastoralism and village life to urbanism, especially from the first century b.c. to the second century a.d. S. emphasizes that Palmyra's development as a community is closely related to the city's development as a polis. He also points to the significance of religion, especially Bel and the god's temple complex at Palmyra, as an aspect which contributed importantly to the development of a community as a ‘co-operative venture among different tribal groups’ (61). The temple essentially functioned as a ‘House of the gods’ and promoted cohesiveness in the worship of many different gods at Palmyra.

In concert with the importance of religious elements is the development of Palmyra as an economic centre. S. investigates the tariff law inscription of a.d. 137 as an indicator of co-operation over resources such as water and salt, and demonstrates the integration of the city with its surrounding countryside. Palmyra's rôle in long-distance caravan trade, especially in the first and second centuries a.d., was a further contributor to the growing population of the city and in turn collective, tribal and familial identities.

S. also explores the transformation of Palmyra into a Greek polis in the first and second centuries a.d. and a Roman colonia in the third century, and how this impacted on Palmyrene identity at various levels. The exercise of power and authority by notable Palmyrenes via the institutions of the polis and colonia forms part of this investigation. The ongoing importance of the tribes in the civic institutions is dealt with together with the social and political significance of the caravan leaders and Palmyrenes in military service. Palmyrene identity is also addressed at a more personal level, focusing on the Palmyrene family, marriage patterns, rôles of women and slaves and freedmen. In these respects, S. concludes that Palmyra is unsurprisingly comparable to other Mediterranean communities and that over time a greater Roman influence is evident in Palmyrene social institutions.

A further avenue of investigation focuses on the Palmyrene diaspora, emphasizing the strong maintenance of social and cultural identities by Palmyrenes in Parthia and various parts of the Roman Empire. Among the key indicators identified is the tendency of Palmyrenes to take their gods with them while continuing to use Palmyrene Aramaic. The Palmyrenes of Dura Europos receive the most detailed treatment as members of this diaspora, while evidence for Palmyrenes in Numidia, Dacia, Egypt, Rome and Britain is also examined. Finally, the rise of Odenathus and the revolt of Zenobia and Vaballathus are dealt with. Here the emphasis is on a likely decline in trade in the third century, and how this changed the nature of Palmyrene collective identity resulting in the revolt of Zenobia which S. essentially sees as a separatist movement.

Overall, this is a thorough analysis of the evidence for identity, community and state formation in Roman Palmyra. Analysis of the inscriptions is extensive and the conclusions drawn by S. about Palmyrene identity are well-founded. Among the important contributions of the book are the rôle of the tribes, emphasis on the unity of city and hinterland, and the impact of the development of the polis and colonia. Surprisingly little consideration is provided of the ongoing use of the name Tadmor rather than a transliteration of Palmyra in the Aramaic inscriptions. Thorough analysis of this practice is potentially revealing about Palmyrene identity at individual and group levels. Numismatic evidence is used only sparingly with reference to the revolt of Zenobia and Vaballathus and despite the claims of many, including S., Palmyra did not quite fade into obscurity after the campaigns of Aurelian. Diocletian was concerned enough to establish an imposing military camp there two decades later which is potentially instructive about ongoing Palmyrene restiveness.