An Urban Geography of the Roman World, 100 BC to AD 300

J. W. Hanson

• Publisher: Archaeopress Archaeology
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781784914721
• eBook ISBN: 9781784914738
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Archaeology
• Index: Social Sciences

Although there have been numerous studies of individual cities or groups of cities, there has never been a study of the urbanism of the Roman world as a whole, meaning that we have been poorly informed not only about the number of cities and how they were distributed and changed over time, but also about their sizes and populations, monumentality, and civic status. This book provides a new account of the urbanism of the Roman world between 100 BC and AD 300. To do so, it draws on a combination of textual sources and archaeological material to provide a new catalogue of cities, calculates new estimates of their areas and uses a range of population densities to estimate their populations, and brings together available information about their monumentality and civic status for the first time. This evidence demonstrates that, although there were relatively few cities, many had considerable sizes and populations, substantial amounts of monumentality, and held various kinds of civic status. This indicates that there was significant economic growth in this period, including both extensive and intensive economic growth, which resulted from an influx of wealth through conquest and the intrinsic changes that came with Roman rule (including the expansion of urbanism). This evidence also suggests that there was a system that was characterized by areas of intense urban demand, which was met through an efficient system for the extraction of necessity and luxury goods from immediate hinterlands and an effective system for bringing these items from further afield. The disruption of these links seems to have put this system under considerable strain towards the end of this period and may have been sufficient to cause its ultimate collapse. This appears to have been in marked contrast to the medieval and early modern periods, when urbanism was more able to respond to changes in supply and demand.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• Abbreviations
• Preface
• Part One: Text
• Chapter One: Introduction
• Chapter Two: Urban Theory
• Chapter Three: Numbers, Distributions, and Change over Time
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• Chapter Four: Sizes and Populations
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• Chapter Five: Monumentality
• Chapter Six: Civic Status
• Chapter Seven: Spatial Patterns
• Chapter Eight: Discussion and Conclusions
• Appendix
• Bibliography
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• Figure 1: The development of the Roman Empire over time.
• Figure 2: The number of places mentioned in Strabo’s Geography by region.
• Figures
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• Figure 3: The number of places mentioned in Pliny’s Natural History by region.
• Figure 4: The number of places mentioned in Ptolemy’s Geography by region.
• Figure 5: The number of cities in the Roman world over time.
• Figure 6: The increase in the number of cities in the Roman world over time.
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• Figure 7: The number of cities founded and abandoned or destroyed in the Roman world over time.
• Figure 8: The number of newly-created forts in the Roman world over time.
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• Figure 10: The number of properties, average footprints, average numbers of inhabitants, populations, areas, and estimated population densities for various sites in the Greek world (Hansen 2004: Table 2.3).
• Figure 9: The statistics provided by the Notitia and Curiosum in the Regionary Catalogues, with the differences between them i dicated in bold and italics (Wallace-Hadrill 2008: Table 6.1).
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• Figure 11: The estimated populations of selected cities in the Roman world in AD 150, using a fixed range of population densities between 100 and 500p/ha.
• Figure 12: The estimated population of the average sized city in the Roman world in AD 150, using a fixed range of population densities between 100 and 500p/ha.
• Figure 13: The estimated urban population of the Roman world in AD 150, based on the sample of 885 sites with estimated sizes and using a fixed range of population densities between 100 and 500p/ha.
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• Figure 14: The estimated urban population of the Roman world in AD 150, based on the sample of 885 sites with estimated sizes and using a sliding range of population densities between 100 and 500p/ha.
• Figure 15: The estimated urban population of the Roman world in AD 150, based on extrapolating from the sample of 885 sites wi h estimated sizes to the total of 1388 sites in the catalogue by multiplying the former by various factors from 1.25 to 1.75.
• Figure 16: The estimated total population of the Roman world in AD 165 (Scheidel 2007: Table 3.1).
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• Figure 17: The possible urbanization rates and total populations of the Roman world, using the estimates for the total urban population of 10.6 or 12.2 million.
• Figure 18: The number of monuments in the Roman world over time.
• Figure 19: The increase in the number of monuments in the Roman world over time.
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• Figure 20: The breakdown of different types of monument in the Roman world.
• Figure 21: The breakdown of different sub-types of monument in the Roman world.
• Figure 22: The breakdown of different types of monument and the maximum, minimum, and average sizes of sites in which they can be found.
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• Figure 23: The breakdown of different sub-types of monument and the maximum, minimum, and average sizes of sites in which they can be found.
• Figure 24: The number of cities with civic status in the Roman world over time.
• Figure 25: The breakdown of the number of sites with civic status in the Roman world over time.
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• Figure 26: The number of newly-created coloniae in the Roman world over time.
• Figure 27: The number of newly-created municipia in the Roman world over time.
• Figure 28: The number of cities with newly-created rights and privileges in the Roman world over time.
• Figure 29: The breakdown of different types of civic status and the maximum, minimum, and average sizes of sites in which they can be found.
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• Figure 30: The estimated urban population of the Greek world in or around 400 BC (based on Hansen 2004: Appendix 3).
• Figure 31: The estimated number of cities, urban population, total population, and urbanization rate of Europe, AD 800 to 1900 (based on Bairoch 1988: Tables 7.1; 8.2; and 13.2).
• Figure 32: The cities of the north-west in the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD (Scheidel 2007: Map 3.2, based on Pounds 1969: Figure 10). Copyright: Cambridge University Press.
• Figure 33: The cities of the east in the 6th century AD (Scheidel 2007: Map 3.3, based on Jones 1937: Maps II-IV). Copyright: Cambridge University Press.
• Figure 34: The provinces of the Roman Empire at the death of Trajan in AD 117. 1: Achaea; 2: Aegyptus; 3: Africa Proconsularis; 4: Alpes Cottiae; 5: Alpes Graiae et Poeninae; 6: Alpes Maritimae; 7: Arabia; 8: Asia; 9: Baetica; 10: Bithynia et Pontus; 11:
• Figure 35: The extent of the Roman Empire in 100 BC.
• Figure 36: The extent of the Roman Empire in AD 1.
• Figure 37: The extent of the Roman Empire in AD 100.
• Figure 38: The extent of the Roman Empire in AD 200.
• Figure 39: The extent of the Roman Empire in AD 300.
• Figure 40: von Thünen’s ‘Isolated State’ model (after Morley 1996: 62).
• Figure 41: Christaller’s ‘Central Place Theory’ (after Carter 1981: 65).
• Figure 42: Smith’s solar and dendritic central place models (left and right respectively) (after Hodges 2012: Figure 2).
• Figure 43: Zipf’s ‘Rank-Size Rule’ (after Hodges 2012: Figure 2).
• Figure 44: The places mentioned in Ptolemy’s Geography (based on the information in Stückelberger and Graßhoff 2006).
• Figure 45: The cities of the Roman world.
• Figure 46: The density of cities in the Roman world.
• Figure 47: The cities of the Roman world over relief.
• Figure 48: The sites recorded by the Ancient World Mapping Centre and Pleiades project.
• Figure 49: The density of the sites recorded by the Ancient World Mapping Centre and Pleiades project.
• Figure 50: The cities of the Roman world in 100 BC.
• Figure 51: The cities of the Roman world in AD 1.
• Figure 52: The cities of the Roman world in AD 100.
• Figure 53: The cities of the Roman world in AD 200.
• Figure 54: The cities of the Roman world in AD 300.
• Figure 55: The density of cities in the Roman world in 100 BC.
• Figure 56: The density of cities in the Roman world in AD 1.
• Figure 57: The density of cities in the Roman world in AD 100.
• Figure 58: The density of cities in the Roman world in AD 200.
• Figure 59: The density of cities in the Roman world in AD 300.
• Figure 60: The change in the number of cities in the 1st century BC.
• Figure 61: The change in the number of cities in the 1st century AD.
• Figure 62: The change in the number of cities in the 2nd century AD.
• Figure 63: The change in the number of cities in the 3rd century AD.
• Figure 64: The number of newly-created forts in the 1st century BC.
• Figure 65: The number of newly-created forts in the 1st century AD.
• Figure 66: The number of newly-created forts in the 2nd century AD.
• Figure 67: The sizes of cities in the Roman world, in hectares.
• Figure 68: The density of the sizes of cities in the Roman world, in hectares.
• Figure 69: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of the Roman world, with rank against area (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 70: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of the Roman world, with rank against estimated population (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 71: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Italia and the Alpes Cottiae, Graiae et Poeninae, and Maritimae, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 72: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Mauretania Tingitana and Caesariensis, Numidia, Africa Proconsularis, and Cy enaica, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 73: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Aegyptus, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on he right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 74: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Arabia, Syria Palestina, and Syria, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 75: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Asia, Bithynia et Pontus, Cilicia, Lycia et Pamphylia, and Cappadocia et Galatia, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 76: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Achaea and Macedonia, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 77: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of the Balkans (including Raetia, Noricum, Pannonia Inferior and Superior, Dalmatia, Moesia Inferior and Superior, Dacia, and Thracia), with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the ri
• Figure 78: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Gaul and Germany (including Gallia Narbonensis, Aquitania, Lugdunensis, and Belgica, and Germania Inferior and Superior), with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the sc
• Figure 79: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Britannia, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 80: A graph to show the urban hierarchy of Baetica, Hispania Tarraconensis, and Lusitania, with rank against area on the left and rank against population on the right (the scales are logarithmic).
• Figure 81: The monuments in cities in the Roman world.
• Figure 82: The density of the monuments in cities in the Roman world.
• Figure 83: The number of monuments in cities in the Roman world in 100 BC.
• Figure 84: The number of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 1.
• Figure 85: The number of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 100.
• Figure 86: The number of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 200.
• Figure 87: The number of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 300.
• Figure 88: The density of monuments in cities the Roman world in 100 BC.
• Figure 89: The density of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 1.
• Figure 90: The density of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 100.
• Figure 91: The density of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 200.
• Figure 92: The density of monuments in cities in the Roman world in AD 300.
• Figure 93: The increase in the number of monuments in cities in the 1st century BC.
• Figure 94: The increase in the number of monuments in cities in the 1st century AD.
• Figure 95: The increase in the number of monuments in cities in the 2nd century AD.
• Figure 96: The increase in the number of monuments in cities in the 3rd century AD.
• Figure 97: The cities with bouleuteria, ekklesiasteria, curiae, and comitia in the Roman world.
• Figure 98: The cities with dikasteria and basilicae in the Roman world.
• Figure 100: The cities with gymnasia, palaestrae, and baths in the Roman world.
• Figure 99: The cities with religious structures in the Roman world.
• Figure 101: The cities with theatres and odea in the Roman world.
• Figure 102: The cities with amphitheatres in the Roman world.
• Figure 103: The cities with hippodromes and circuses in the Roman world.
• Figure 104: The cities with stadia in the Roman world.
• Figure 105: The cities with walls and ramparts in the Roman world.
• Figure 106: The cities with aqueducts, nymphaea, and fountains in the Roman world.
• Figure 107: The capacities of theatres, amphitheatres, hippodromes, and circuses in the Roman world.
• Figure 108: The sites with civic status in the Roman world.
• Figure 109: The density of sites with civic status in the Roman world.
• Figure 110: The sites with civic status in the Roman world in 100 BC.
• Figure 111: The sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 1.
• Figure 112: The sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 100.
• Figure 113: The sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 200.
• Figure 114: The sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 300.
• Figure 115: The density of sites with civic status in the Roman world in 100 BC.
• Figure 116: The density of sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 1.
• Figure 117: The density of sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 100.
• Figure 118: The density of sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 200.
• Figure 119: The density of sites with civic status in the Roman world in AD 300.
• Figure 120: Provincial capitals in the Roman world (in AD 117).
• Figure 121: Conventus capitals in the Roman world.
• Figure 122: Metropolis capitals in the Roman world.
• Figure 123: Nome capitals in the Roman world.
• Figure 124: The coloniae of the Roman world.
• Figure 125: The number of newly-created coloniae in the 1st century BC.
• Figure 126: The number of newly-created coloniae in the 1st century AD.
• Figure 127: The number of newly-created coloniae in the 2nd century AD.
• Figure 128: The number of newly-created coloniae in the 3rd century AD.
• Figure 129: The municipia of the Roman world.
• Figure 130: The number of newly-created municipia in the Roman world in the 1st century BC.
• Figure 131: The number of newly-created municipia in the Roman world in the 1st century AD.
• Figure 132: The number of newly-created municipia in the Roman world in the 2nd century AD.
• Figure 133: The number of newly-created municipia in the Roman world in the 3rd century AD.
• Figure 134: The cities with rights and privileges in the Roman world.
• Figure 135: The cities with newly-created rights and privileges in the 1st century BC.
• Figure 136: The cities with newly-created rights and privileges in the 1st century AD.
• Figure 137: The cities with newly-created rights and privileges in the 2nd century AD.
• Figure 138: The cities with newly-created rights and privileges in the 3rd century AD.
• Figure 139: The extents of ordering and clustering in cities in the Roman world.
• Figure 140: The estimated hinterlands of cities in the Roman world, using buffers of 40km.
• Figure 141: The estimated hinterlands of cities in the Roman world, using buffers of 80km.
• Figure 142: The estimated hinterlands of cities in the Roman world, using buffers of 120km.
• Figure 143: The estimated hinterlands of cities in the Roman world, using allocations.
• Figure 144: The rivers of the Roman world.
• Figure 145: The roads of the Roman world.
• Index
• Part Two: Catalogue
• Select Bibliography
• Index