Land Transport in Roman Egypt A Study of Economics and Administration in a Roman Province

by Adams, Colin

• ISBN13: 9780199203970
• ISBN10: 0199203970
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-05-17
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The papyri of Egypt offer a rich and complex picture of this important Roman province and provide an unparalleled insight into how a Roman province actually worked. They also afford a valuable window into ancient economic behavior and everyday life. This study is the first systematic treatment of the role of land transport within the economic life of Roman Egypt, an everyday economic activity at the center of the economy not only of Egypt but of the Roman world. Colin Adams studies the economics of animal ownership, the role of transport in the commercial and agricultural economies of Egypt, and how the Roman state used provincial resources to meet its own transport demands. He reveals a complex relationship between private individual and state in their use of transport resources, a dynamic and rational economy, and the economic and administrative behavior imposed when an imperial power made demands upon a province.

Author Biography

Colin Adams is Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Liverpool.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Notes for the Reader	p. ix
Maps	p. xii
Setting the Scene
Introduction: Transport and the Economy of the Roman World	p. 3
The Geography, Topography and Land Transport Networks of Egypt	p. 17
Transport Resources
Transport Animals and Wagons	p. 49
Animal Use and Maintenance	p. 70
Animal Trade and Ownership	p. 91
The Organization of Transport
State Control of Animal Ownership	p. 119
Animal Requisition	p. 135
Case Studies
State Grain Transport	p. 159
Deserts and Military Supply	p. 196
Trade and Transport	p. 220
Transport and the Land Economy	p. 254
Conclusion	p. 283
Bibliography	p. 292
Index Locorum	p. 315
Index	p. 327
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