The Demography of Roman Italy
Population Dynamics in an Ancient Conquest Society 201 BCE–14 CE

This book investigates demographic behaviour and population trends in Italy during the emergence of the Roman Empire.

Saskia Hin (Author)

9781108406536, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 July 2017

420 pages, 19 b/w illus. 3 maps 22 tables
23 x 15.3 x 2.3 cm, 0.61 kg

'Short summary cannot do justice to the importance of this contribution, which advances our understanding on a number of fronts. The Demography of Roman Italy is a major contribution, as impressive in its handling of the ancient sources as of the tools of historical demography. Its achievement lies in its sophisticated and cautious approach to both the dynamics of the Roman population and the large-scale trajectory of Roman development.' Kyle Harper, The Journal of Roman Studies

This book provides a fresh perspective on the population history of Italy during the late Republic. It employs a range of sources and a multidisciplinary approach to investigate demographic trends and the demographic behaviour of Roman citizens. Dr Hin shows how they adapted to changing economic, climatic and social conditions in a period of intense conquest. Her critical evaluation of the evidence on the demographic toll taken by warfare and rising societal complexity leads her to a revisionist 'middle count' scenario of population development in Italy. In tracing the population history of an ancient conquest society, she provides an accessible pathway into Roman demography which focuses on the three main demographic parameters - mortality, fertility and migration. She unites literary and epigraphic sources with demographic theory, archaeological surveys, climatic and skeletal evidence, models and comparative data. Tables, figures and maps enable readers to visualise the quantitative dynamics at work.

Part I. Economic and Ecological Parameters: 1. Introduction
2. Framing the economic setting: structure and development
3. Climate and climatic change
Part II. The Demographic Parameters: Mortality, Fertility and Migration: 4. Mortality
5. Fertility
6. Migration
Part III. Population Size: 7. Counting Romans
8. Archaeology and population: demography from potsherds? 9. Summary and conclusion
Appendix 1
Appendix 2.

Subject Areas: Population & demography [JHBD], Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]