An in-depth study of how the Roman Empire influenced life, culture, and politics in northern Italy. Carolynn E. Roncaglia's Northern Italy in the Roman World analyzes the effect of the Roman Empire on northern Italy, tracing the evolution of the region from the Bronze Age to the Gothic wars. A wealthy and strategically important region, northern Italy presents an interesting case study for examining the influence of the Roman state on the fluctuating geographic areas of Cisalpine Gaul that were under its control. Using an array of epigraphic, archaeological, numismatic, and literary evidence, Roncaglia shows how Rome affected matters large and small, from loom weights to ritual horse burials, social networks to the careers of writers. Among the range of fascinating topics she discusses are Celtic migrations, the Roman conquest, Hannibal, long-distance trade networks, freedmen families, St. Ambrose, Catullus, and Pliny the Younger. Northern Italy in the Roman World argues that the relationship between long-term trends and short-term events is key to understanding how Rome affected the territory within its empire. The book is the first major discussion of Roman northern Italy in English to appear since World War II and will be of special interest to scholars and students of the ancient world, European prehistory, the medieval world, and Italian studies. An interesting and original book that makes a compelling case for Northern Italy as the focus of an organic narrative. Roncaglia carefully collates evidence that had never really been made to interact before on this scale. ―Nicola Terrenato, University of Michigan This book is an admirably clear and engaging account of the early history of northern Italy. It presents an approachable, well-written narrative and a compelling synthesis of the evidence for the development of the region from the pre-Roman period to Late Antiquity. ―Kathryn Lomas, University of Durham In a remarkably lucid, fresh, succinct, and accessible manner, this book unfolds the dynamics that shaped the creation of 'Northern Italy,' the configuration of its identities, and its interaction with the larger Roman world. Judiciously selected case studies of individual cities, supported by skillful epigraphic analysis, shed significant new light on regional diversity, especially in terms of their social, economic, and political networks. ―Jinyu Liu, DePauw University Northern Italy in the Roman World offers a new paradigm for investigating regionalism in the Roman empire, one that sidesteps the thorny issue of characterizing cultural contact in favor of deep exploration of human interaction with the landscape, punctuated by well-chosen microhistories that illustrate the evolving sociopolitical terrain. ―John P. Bodel, Brown University Northern Italy in the Roman World offers a new paradigm for investigating regionalism in the Roman empire, one that sidesteps the thorny issue of characterizing cultural contact in favor of deep exploration of human interaction with the landscape, punctuated by well-chosen microhistories that illustrate the evolving sociopolitical terrain. -- John P. Bodel An in-depth study of how the Roman Empire influenced life, culture, and politics in northern Italy. Carolynn E. Roncaglia is an assistant professor of classics at Santa Clara University.