The Urbanization of the Classical World

Bibliographic Data

ID8375451
AuthorsNorman J G Pounds (Indiana University Bloomington, corresponding author)
Year1969
Volume59
Issue1
Pages135-157
Publication date1969-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnnals of the Association of American Geographers (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0004-5608 • E-ISSN: 1467-8306
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-8306.1969.tb00662.x
OpenAlexW2028658119
LanguageEN
Citations received32
References cited6

An attempt is made to examine the number, size, and function of the urban places in classical times. On the basis of epigraphic and literary evidence it is shown that the poleis of classical Greece were very numerous, that most were also very small, and that, in terms of function, many were only large villages. Nevertheless, they tended to invest a large part of their income in their public buildings, so that these, rather than economic function, tended to become the criterion of a polis. As defined in these terms, the polis spread through the classical world, and was finally carried to its farthest geographical extent in ancient times as the Roman civitas as part of imperial policy. An aesthetically developed city was regarded by the Romans as an instrument of civilization. An approximate order of size of urban places is obtained from tax lists and the extent of the built-up area for 1) the Aegean region in the fifth century B.C., 2) Gaul under the Roman Empire, and 3) Britain. The ranking shows a similar curve for each, and is strongly primate. It is suggested that the population of the Aegean poleis, excluding Athens, ranged in size from about 20,000 down to about 200, with almost half of them having 750 or less. On the basis of area it is suggested that the population of the Roman civitates of Britain ranged from 17,000 (London) down to 500, of Gaul, from about 35,000 to 600. In the areas examined the cities are fairly evenly distributed, and a network of very nearly autonomous and autarchic city-regions is postulated

Ancient history · Archaeology · Civilization · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Economy · Function (biology · Geography · Population · Ranking (information retrieval · Roman Empire · Sociology · Urbanization · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Demography · Historical and Architectural Studies · History

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