Palmyra was a unique place within the Roman Empire. The city located in a Syrian oasis
preserved a culture and social organization of its own distinct character. It was closely
intertwined with a larger region that extended beyond the boundaries of the Empire. Its
livelihood was sustained through long-distance trade not through agriculture or the production
of commodities. And the people of Palmyra remained identifiable and distinguishable as
Palmyrenes even when they left the oasis and established a life far from their homeland.
Therefore one can rightly speak of a Palmyrene diaspora of which this book provides the first
in-depth study.
