The narrative halts temporarily, for some analysis of structures. The steep decline of urbanism documented later in the Roman successor state (Byzantium) had not yet set in, but a first stage in the centralization of government functions was already discernible. The costs of the war bore heavily on both belligerents, but there was more strain on Roman finances. The Sasanians were able to draw on the resources of the occupied Roman provinces, but were careful not to increase the rate of taxation. They also showed sensitivity in handling local elites and minimizing changes to administrative practices. At home confidence grew in ultimate victory and preparations were made for its commemoration in monumental rock reliefs.
Myles Lavan – Richard E. Payne – John Weisweiler (Hgg.), Cosmopolitanism and Empire. Universal Rulers, Local Elites, and Cultural Integration in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean, London – New York (Oxford University Press), 2016, XIV, 282 S., ISBN 978-0-19-046566-7 (geb.), £ 75,–