The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Economy

by Walter Scheidel (Editor)

Overview

This book offers readers a comprehensive and innovative introduction to the economy of the Roman Empire. Focusing on the principal determinants, features and consequences of Roman economic development and integrating additional web-based materials, it is designed as an up-to-date survey that is accessible to all audiences. Five main sections discuss theoretical approaches drawn from economics, labor regimes, the production of power and goods, various means of distribution from markets to predation, and the success and ultimate failure of the Roman economy. The book not only covers traditionally prominent features such as slavery, food production and monetization but also highlights the importance of previously neglected aspects such as the role of human capital, energy generation, rent-taking, logistics and human wellbeing, and convenes a group of five experts to debate the nature of Roman trade.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107486904
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/08/2012
Series:	Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Walter Scheidel is Dickason Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Classics and History at Stanford University, California. He is the author or editor of a dozen books on the ancient world, including The Cambridge Economic History of the Greco-Roman World (with Ian Morris and Richard Saller, 2007). His work, which has focused on ancient social and economic history, historical demography and the history of empire, has been widely recognized for its innovative quantitative and comparative modelling, cross-cultural scope and transdisciplinary breadth across the social sciences and life sciences.

Table of Contents

Part I. Introduction: 1. Approaching the Roman economy Walter Scheidel; Part II. Theory: 2. Roman economic thought Gloria Vivenza; 3. The contribution of economics Peter Temin; 4. Human capital and economic growth Richard Saller; Part III. Labor: 5. Slavery Walter Scheidel; 6. Contract labor Dennis Kehoe; Part IV. Production: 7. Raw materials and energy Andrew Wilson; 8. Food production Geoffrey Kron; 9. Manufacturing Cameron Hawkins; Part V. Distribution: 10. Predation Peter Fibiger Bang; 11. Transport Colin Adams; 12. Urbanism Paul Erdkamp; 13. Money and finance Sitta von Reden; 14. A forum on trade Andrew Wilson, Morris Silver, Peter Fibiger Bang, Paul Erdkamp and Neville Morley; Part VI. Outcomes: 15. Physical wellbeing Walter Scheidel; 16. Post-imperial economies Simon Loseby.

Editorial Reviews

"Students, at all levels, of the ancient Mediterranean world have much to learn from this Companion. … [the] price should encourage personal purchase and course adoption. Excellent critical bibliographies; near-comprehensive index. Summing up: highly recommended."
Choice

"… a state-of-the-art thematic survey … The overall quality is very high … [this book] offers the best available guide to the subject and will also prove useful to economic historians of other pre-industrial societies. … a very good introduction, which I have no hesitation in recommending."
Koenraad Verboven, The Classical Review

"The thematic approach taken by [this] companion, and the very useful guide to further reading, makes [it] an excellent teaching resource. There is also much here for researchers of the Roman economy, with the different viewpoints and approaches taken by the numerous authors encouraging further debate on the interpretation of data, and on the issue of economic performance in the Roman world."
Claire Holleran, The Journal of Roman Studies

From the Publisher