Landscapes and Cities
Rural Settlement and Civic Transformation in Early Imperial Italy
Published on 19. October 2006
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-0-19-814088-7 (ISBN)
Description
The first two centuries AD are conventionally thought of as the 'golden age' of the Roman Empire, yet Italy in this period has often been seen as being in a state of decline and even crisis. This book investigates the relationships between city and countryside in Italy in the early Empire, using evidence from literary texts and inscriptions, and the wealth of data derived from archaeological field surveys over recent years. Looking at individual towns and regions as well as at the broader picture, and stressing the diversity of situations across Italy, John R. Patterson examines how changing patterns of building and benefaction in the cities were related to developments in the country, and underlines the resourcefulness of the cities, both large and small, in seeking to maintain and develop their civic traditions.
Reviews / Votes
Patterson presents a social and economic history of Italy during the first and second centures AD, focusing upon central and southern Italy. He offers a nuanced view of Italy's transformation, emphasising and analysing local diversity...Given that a large proportion of this has been published in Italian and almost all of it in comparatively obscure or expensive scholarly publications, his book makes accessible recent work on the peninsula's towns and landscape. * Alison E. Cooley, The Journal of Classics Teaching * An important contribution to the historiography of the Italian peninsula in antiquity... [it] will take a central position in the scholarly debate during the upcoming years and hence deserves a place in any decent university library. * Miko Flohr, Bryn Mawr Classical Review * ...[an] ambitious and stimulating book...a wide-ranging and persuasive contribution of importance for all those working on imperial Italy * Robert Witcher, Journal of Roman Studies *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
5 halftones, 7 figures
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
644 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-814088-7 (9780198140887)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
John R. Patterson is Senior Lecturer in Classics, University of Cambridge.
Content
Introduction ; 1. The rural landscapes of imperial Italy ; Appendix: Survey of surveys ; 2. The transformation of the city in imperial Italy ; 3. Social mobility and the cities of Italy ; Conclusion