Roman Ireland [Paperback]

Vittorio Di Martino (Author), Vittorio Martino (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1903464196 | ISBN-13: 978-1903464199 | Publication Date: April 2003

Provides a fresh consideration of Roman influence in Ireland, highlighting the common Indo-European roots of Roman and Irish culture. This book outlines the early influence of Latin on the Irish language, the Roman contribution to the shaping of Irish art and the crucial function of trade in opening new contacts between the Irish and Roman worlds.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A nondescript patch of land 15 miles north of Dublin has shattered one of Ireland's strongest myths. It indicates that the country was invaded by the Romans after all. Sunday Times, January 1996

About the Author

Vittorio Di Romano works at the International Labour Organisation in Geneva. A native of Rome he lived and worked in Ireland for ten years before moving to Switzerland. While ancient Rome has been the main focus of his classical studies, his time in Ireland and Switzerland provided an opportunity to study the Celtic world and its contacts with the Mediterranean world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Collins Press (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903464196
• ISBN-13: 978-1903464199
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,283,860 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Questions with Few Answers, January 3, 2009

By 

Martin Nutty (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Roman Ireland (Paperback)

Interesting book which lays out evidence of direct contact between Celtic Ireland and the Roman World. The author takes a shot at Ireland's self image of being untouched by the Roman Empire, a point of cultural pride I believe from an earlier era. I suspect Irish Nationalism dictates that Ireland is pure Celtic state then Briton which was sullied by Roman culture!

Interesting that the book is written by a native Roman who lived in Ireland for some 10 years. It seems that Irish Academia has been unwilling at best and hostile at worse to marshall a complete analysis in book from of Roman involvement in Ireland.

One wonders at the seeming unwillingness to investigate what appears to be a Roman site at Drumanagh north of Dublin which has yielded a number of Roman artifacts. The site is discussed but little coverage is given of the impediments to doing a full excavation.

The book is a little errudite and certainly speculative for my tastes. It raises interesting questions which one hopes will be investigated by the new generation less constrained by orthodox Irish identity issues.