Simon Esmonde Cleary

The City in the Roman West, c.250 BC–c.AD 250: The Roman city in c . AD 250: an urban legacy of empire?

The city is widely regarded as the most characteristic expression of the social, cultural and economic formations of the Roman Empire. This was especially true in the Latin-speaking West, where urbanism was much less deeply ingrained than in the Greek-speaking East but where networks of cities grew up during the centuries following conquest and occupation. This up-to-date and well-illustrated synthesis provides students and specialists alike with an overview of the development of the city in Italy, Gaul, Britain, Germany, Spain and North Africa, whether their interests lie in ancient history, Roman archaeology or the wider history of urbanism. It accounts not only for the city’s geographical and temporal spread and its associated monuments (such as amphitheatres and baths), but also for its importance to the rulers of the Empire as well as the provincials and locals.

The City in the Roman West, c.250 BC–c.AD 250: Defining a new town: walls, streets and temples

Introduction 1. The creation of an urban culture 2. Colonisation and the development of Roman urbanism 3. City foundation, government and urbanism 4. The reception of Roman urbanism in the West 5. Town planning, competition and the aesthetics of urbanism 6. Defining a new town: walls, streets and temples 7. Assembling the city: forum and basilica 8. Assembling the city: baths and urban life 9. Assembling the city: theatres and sacred space 10. Assembling the city: amphitheatres 11. The Roman city in c.AD 250: an urban legacy of Empire? Bibliography Index.