Summary

This chapter is about life in some of the Roman provinces. In 109 CE, Pliny the Younger began his governorship in Bithynia. In his role, Pliny inspected local finances, reported on the state of public services, and asked for resources to be sent from Rome for local improvements. Pliny and the emperor Trajan also discussed how to deal with a new religious group: Christians, who were beginning to be punished and persecuted for their religion. Pliny's letters have blind spots including around any general local opposition to the Romans, the commercial opportunities of the empire, and the cultural differences between his province and his home.

After Augustus put a halt to the expansion of the Roman empire in 9 CE there were few additions to Roman territory. The sense grew that the empire had boundaries, though they were often relatively fluid. An exception...