The Roman City and its Periphery - Hardcover

Goodman, Penelope

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415338654 ISBN 13: 9780415338653

Publisher: Routledge, 2006

Synopsis

The first and only monograph available on the subject, The Roman City and its Periphery offers a full and detailed treatment of the little-investigated aspect of Roman urbanism – the phenomenon of suburban development.

Presenting archaeological and literary evidence alongside sixty-three plans of cities, building plans, and photographs, Penelope Goodman examines how and why Roman suburbs grew up outside Roman cities, what was distinctive about the nature of suburban development, and what contributions buildings and activities in the suburbs might make to the character and function of the city as a whole.

With full bibliography and annotations throughout, this will not only provide a coherent treatment of an essential theme for students of Roman urbanism, but archaeologists, urban planners and geographers also, will have an excellent comparative tool in the study of modern urbanism.

About this title

About the Author

Penelope Goodman

From the Back Cover

Why did Roman cities develop an urban periphery?
How was that space used, and how was it understood by contemporaries?

'The Roman City and its Periphery' explores the issue of periurban
development outside the cities of the Roman world: the first time the issue
has been treated in a comprehensive volume. Through a wide range of case
studies, ranging from Rome itself to provincial cities across the western
part of the empire, Penelope J. Goodman explores contemporary views of
periurban development, and compares them with the reality of archaeological
remains. At the core of the work is a detailed case study of the cities of
Roman Gaul, from well-known major cities such as Arles to small towns like
Argentomagus, and from the Roman conquest to the end of antiquity.

This extensive study reveals that the development of an urban periphery was
a widespread and characteristic feature of Roman cities everywhere, and
shows that it could function as an important part of the urban fabric - a
far cry from the low-grade artisanal suburbs of the medieval and early
modern world. 'The Roman City and its Periphery' shows the contributions
which an understanding of periurban space can make to debates concerning
the character of a Roman city, its relationship with the countryside, and
the relationship of local elites with the power that was Rome.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415338654
• ISBN 13: 9780415338653
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 328