Rome On The Euphrates Author:Freya Stark ROME ON THE EUPHRATES is the history of the long frontier of the Euphrates through eight centuries of Roman warfare. When Roman legions marched into Asia Minor 200 years before Christ, their plan was to secure a buffer zone between the Mediterranean, which they virtually owned, and the area beyond, which they sought to isolate rather than contro... more »l. But their calculations went awry. Their expanding involvement lasted eight centuries, drained their energies, and--unguessable catastrophe--destroyed the bridge that, since Alexander the Great, with mutual benefit had linked China to commerce of the Mediterranean. The author's main theme is the uselessness of war across a frontier whose trade is beneficial to both sides. Her own travels to these historic battlegrounds give depth to this remarkable story--a story from which lessons still can be learned today.« less