Mobility and Stability of the Population in the Roman World: A Methodological and Historiographical Discussion
- Greg Woolf Institute of Classical Studies. London
Abstract
This paper examines the potential for human mobility in the ancient world and in particular in the Roman Empire. It begins from a consideration of Horden and Purcell’s The Corrupting Sea and also draws on studies of mobility conducted by prehistorians and by historical demographers working on more recent periods. Detailed information on the phenomenon is lacking. Nevertheless is it possible to argue from this that the extent of mobility was relatively limited, yet still sufficient to maintain important levels of connectivity across the Roman World.
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