Investing in the colonia and ager of Antium

Abstract

Detailed settlement data deriving from archaeological surveys is increasingly used as a proxy for demographic and economic growth and decline. This paper uses data from a survey in the ager of the Roman colony Antium (central Italy) to establish the extent and nature of economic growth during the Late Republican and Early Imperial period and, using additional archaeological, historical and epigraphic sources, looks into the factors that made growth possible. Following an overview of the settlement history of the area and a discussion of demographic trends, we review the evidence for aggregate growth and whether this occurred in conjunction with per capita growth. If so, this would indicate a..