This book collects scholarly essays on various subjects, which are united by a shared interest in changing meanings and hybrid forms in the languages, arts, and cultures of Late Antiquity in both the Eastern and Western Roman Empire. Recurring themes are the changing definitions and relationships between civilized person and barbarian, non-Christian and Christian, and the transition from Roman to medieval society. The book is divided into five sections. The first deals with shared intellectual space: discourse and language. The second deals with negotiations between "high" and "low" culture. The third deals with literary culture. The fourth considers material and popular culture, and the final section concerns relationships on the frontiers: Vandal Africa, the Suani of the Causasus, and the Visigoths in Gaul. Some essays are academic in tone and will be of interest to academic specialists in Classics. Others are written in more accessible language and deal with stories, cultures, objects, and events that may interest educated general readers who like to read about history and culture. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)