Metropolis and Hinterland: The City of Rome and the Italian Economy, 200 BC–AD 200

Neville Morley

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511518584

Ancient Rome was one of the greatest cities of the pre-industrial era. Like other such great cities, it has often been deemed parasitic, a drain on the resources of the society that supported it. Rome's huge population was maintained not by trade or manufacture but by the taxes and rents of the empire. It was the archetypal 'consumer city'. However, such a label does not do full justice to the impact of the city on its hinterland. This book examines the historiography of the consumer city model and reappraises the relationship between Rome and Italy. Drawing on archaeological work and comparative evidence, the author shows how the growth of the city can be seen as the major influence on the development of the Italian economy in this period as its demands for food and migrants promoted changes in agriculture, marketing systems and urbanisation throughout the peninsula.

"Morley presents his thesis clearly, logically, and persuasively. His arguments will give both primitives and modernists much to ponder..." R.I. Curtis, Choice

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Metropolis and Hinterland

The City of Rome and the Italian Economy, 200 BC–AD 200

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-vi

Contents
pp vii-vii

List of maps and figures
pp viii-viii

Preface
pp ix-ix

List of abbreviations
pp x-xii

Introduction: Rome and Italy
pp 1-12

1 - The metropolitan city in a pre-industrial economy
pp 13-32

2 - The demographic burden
pp 33-54

3 - A model of agricultural change
pp 55-82

4 - The transformation of the Roman suburbium
pp 83-107

5 - Agricultural development in central Italy
pp 108-142

6 - Exploiting the margins
pp 143-158

7 - Marketing and urbanisation
pp 159-183

Conclusion
pp 184-185

Bibliography
pp 186-207

Index
pp 208-211

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Metropolis and Hinterland

The City of Rome and the Italian Economy, 200 BC–AD 200

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