Fragile Hierarchies

Laurens E. Tacoma (1967), Ph.D. in History, Leiden University (2003), is Lecturer in Ancient History at the Dept. of History of Leiden University, The Netherlands.

'...clearly written, well argued and persuasive. It shows a detailed mastery of a very considerable body of ancient evidence from Roman Egypt. But that knowledge is combined with and lightened by an imaginative use of analytical models.'Keith Hopkins (†), Emeritus Prof. of Ancient History, Kings College, University of Cambridge.'Laurens Tacoma does two things for his readers that are most unusual. First, he takes his readers into his mind, there to see what doubts he had, what deficiencies of evidence he had to confront, how he handled them and with what degree of confidence in his results. All this is instructive both as to method and product. Second, having a remarkably active curiosity, like an AK47, he directs on his chosen subject a barrage of penetrating questions which not only open it up to understanding but provide readers with the means of understanding other, similar population groups in the ancient world or elsewhere. The whole study is of great value.'Ramsey MacMullen, Emeritus Professor in Ancient History, Yale University.