THE URBANIZATION OF THE CLASSICAL WORLD

TLDR

Romans viewed an aesthetically developed city as an instrument of civilization. The study examines the number, size, and function of urban places in classical times. Size estimates were derived from tax lists and built‑up area for the Aegean, Gaul, and Britain. Findings show that classical Greek poleis were numerous and mostly small, many functioning as large villages, yet they invested heavily in public buildings, making architecture the defining feature of a polis that spread to the Roman civitas; size rankings across the Aegean, Gaul, and Britain followed a similar primate curve, with Aegean poleis ranging from ~20,000 to 200 and Roman civitates in Britain from 17,000 to 500, indicating a fairly even distribution and a network of autonomous city‑regions.

Abstract

ABSTRACT 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.