Peasant and Empire in Christian North Africa

Abstract

This history foregrounds the most marginal sector of the Roman population—the provincial peasantry—to paint a picture of peasant society. Making use of detailed archaeological and textual evidence, the book examines the peasantry in relation to the upper classes in Christian North Africa, tracing that region's social and cultural history from Punic times to the eve of the Islamic conquest. The author demonstrates that during the period when Christianity was spreading to both city and countryside in North Africa, a convergence of economic interests narrowed the gap between the rustici and the urbani, creating a consumer revolution of sorts among the peasants. The book's postcolonial perspective points to the empowerment of North African peasants and gives voice to lower social classes across the Roman world.

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