Demography and the Graeco-Roman World : New Insights and Approaches

"Through a series of case studies this book demonstrates the wide-ranging impact of demographic dynamics on social, economic and political structures in the Graeco-Roman world. The individual case studies focus on fertility, mortality and migration and the roles they played in various aspects of ancient life. These studies - drawn from a range of populations in Athens and Attica, Rome and Italy, and Graeco-Roman Egypt - illustrate how new insights can be gained by applying demographic methods to familiar themes in ancient history. Methodological issues are addressed in a clear, straightforward manner with no assumption of prior technical knowledge, ensuring that the book is accessible to readers with no training in demography. The book marks an important step forward in ancient historical demography, affirming both the centrality of population studies in ancient history and the contribution that antiquity can make to population history in general"-- "This book has its origins in a conference entitled 'Pre-modern Populations and Economies: the Case of Greece and Rome' which we organised while we were postgraduate students at the University of Manchester in June 2005. Versions of some of the papers were presented at this conference, and others were added later in order to extend the scope of the volume. We would like to thank our speakers: Ben Akrigg, Nigel Goose, Ian Harrison, Mike McCarthy, Neville Morley and Bob Woods, and our session chairs and discussants, Alex Craven, Polly Low and James Thorne"-- Contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Introduction Studies in ancient historical demography......Page 12 THE BOOK......Page 19 CHAPTER 1 Demography and development in classical antiquity......Page 25 ORIGINS OF THE DEBATE: DAVID HUME......Page 27 ORIGINS OF THE DEBATE: THOMAS MALTHUS......Page 32 THEORISING TRANSITION......Page 38 CONCLUSION: DEMOGRAPHY AND DEVELOPMENT IN ROMAN ITALY......Page 46 CHAPTER 2 Demography and classical Athens......Page 48 APPROACHES TO THE POPULATION OF ATHENS......Page 50 HANSEN IN CONTEXT......Page 53 HOPKINS......Page 57 HANSEN......Page 59 CONCLUSIONS......Page 68 CHAPTER 3 Nuptiality and the demographic life cycle of the family in Roman Egypt......Page 71 FERTILITY AND NUPTIALITY......Page 74 MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY......Page 76 THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE......Page 84 FAMILIES IN ROMAN EGYPT: OBSERVING THE LIFE CYCLE......Page 86 MEN’S MARRIAGE PATTERNS AND THE FAMILY......Page 89 CONCLUSIONS......Page 93 APPENDIX 1. FAMILIES RECORDED ACROSS MORE THAN ONE CENSUS......Page 94 The Arsinoite nome......Page 99 Apollonopolites nome......Page 104 Herakleopolite nome......Page 105 Oxyrhynchite nome......Page 107 Memphite nome......Page 108 INTRODUCTION......Page 110 ECONOMIC INCENTIVES: CHILDREN AS AN ASSET TO THE HOUSEHOLD......Page 111 TOWARD CHILDBEARING: AN ALLIANCE OF BIOLOGY AND CULTURE......Page 115 CHILDLESSNESS AND BACHELORHOOD – DID THE ELITE SET A TREND?......Page 117 ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES......Page 122 CONCLUSION......Page 127 CHAPTER 5 Migration and the demes of Attica......Page 128 MIGRATION THEORY, DEMOGRAPHY AND ATTICA......Page 130 PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY MIGRATION?......Page 134 MIGRATION DECISIONS AND EXPECTATIONS: ( I ) THE FAMILY......Page 136 MIGRATION DECISIONS AND EXPECTATIONS: ( I I ) THE LOCAL COMMUNITY......Page 138 MIGRATION AND THE DEME COMMUNITY......Page 140 MOBILITY AND DEME IDENTITY: THE CASE OF SOUNION......Page 143 CONCLUSIONS......Page 145 CHAPTER 6 Counting the Greeks in Egypt Immigration in the first century of Ptolemaic rule......Page 146 FIRST METHOD (RAPHIA)......Page 149 SECOND METHOD (MACEDONIANS)......Page 152 Absolute number of Macedonians......Page 153 THIRD METHOD (KATOIKOI HIPPEIS), IN THE SECOND CENTURY BC......Page 154 FOURTH METHOD (EXTRAPOLATION FROM THE FAYYUM)......Page 156 CONCLUSION......Page 163 APPENDIX......Page 165 CHAPTER 7 Migration and the urban economy of Rome......Page 166 MIGRATION AND THE POPULATION......Page 167 MIGRATION AND THE URBAN ECONOMY......Page 176 CONCLUSION......Page 190 CHAPTER 8 From the margins to the centre stage: Some closing reflections on ancient historical demography......Page 192 JOURNAL ABBREVIATIONS FOLLOW L’ANNÉE PHILOLOGIQUE......Page 200 Index......Page 225 Contents 6 Contributors 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction Studies in ancient historical demography 12 THE BOOK 19 CHAPTER 1 Demography and development in classical antiquity 25 ORIGINS OF THE DEBATE: DAVID HUME 27 ORIGINS OF THE DEBATE: THOMAS MALTHUS 32 THEORISING TRANSITION 38 CONCLUSION: DEMOGRAPHY AND DEVELOPMENT IN ROMAN ITALY 46 CHAPTER 2 Demography and classical Athens 48 APPROACHES TO THE POPULATION OF ATHENS 50 HANSEN IN CONTEXT 53 HOPKINS 57 HANSEN 59 CONCLUSIONS 68 CHAPTER 3 Nuptiality and the demographic life cycle of the family in Roman Egypt 71 FERTILITY AND NUPTIALITY 74 MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 76 THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE 84 FAMILIES IN ROMAN EGYPT: OBSERVING THE LIFE CYCLE 86 MEN’S MARRIAGE PATTERNS AND THE FAMILY 89 CONCLUSIONS 93 APPENDIX 1. FAMILIES RECORDED ACROSS MORE THAN ONE CENSUS 94 APPENDIX 2. HOUSEHOLDS WITH MARRIED SONS RESIDING IN THEIR PARENTAL HOME 99 The Arsinoite nome 99 Apollonopolites nome 104 Herakleopolite nome 105 Prosopite nome 107 Oxyrhynchite nome 107 Memphite nome 108 CHAPTER 4 Family matters: fertility and its constraints in Roman Italy 110 INTRODUCTION 110 ECONOMIC INCENTIVES: CHILDREN AS AN ASSET TO THE HOUSEHOLD 111 TOWARD CHILDBEARING: AN ALLIANCE OF BIOLOGY AND CULTURE 115 CHILDLESSNESS AND BACHELORHOOD – DID THE ELITE SET A TREND? 117 ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES 122 CONCLUSION 127 CHAPTER 5 Migration and the demes of Attica 128 MIGRATION THEORY, DEMOGRAPHY AND ATTICA 130 PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY MIGRATION? 134 MIGRATION DECISIONS AND EXPECTATIONS: ( I ) THE FAMILY 136 MIGRATION DECISIONS AND EXPECTATIONS: ( I I ) THE LOCAL COMMUNITY 138 MIGRATION AND THE DEME COMMUNITY 140 MOBILITY AND DEME IDENTITY: THE CASE OF SOUNION 143 CONCLUSIONS 145 CHAPTER 6 Counting the Greeks in Egypt Immigration in the first century of Ptolemaic rule 146 FIRST METHOD (RAPHIA) 149 SECOND METHOD (MACEDONIANS) 152 Proportion of Macedonians 153 Absolute number of Macedonians 153 THIRD METHOD (KATOIKOI HIPPEIS), IN THE SECOND CENTURY BC 154 FOURTH METHOD (EXTRAPOLATION FROM THE FAYYUM) 156 CONCLUSION 163 APPENDIX 165 CHAPTER 7 Migration and the urban economy of Rome 166 MIGRATION AND THE POPULATION 167 MIGRATION AND THE URBAN ECONOMY 176 CONCLUSION 190 CHAPTER 8 From the margins to the centre stage: Some closing reflections on ancient historical demography 192 Bibliography 200 JOURNAL ABBREVIATIONS FOLLOW L’ANNÉE PHILOLOGIQUE 200 Index 225 9781107010826 Cambridge University Press "Through a series of case studies this book demonstrates the wide-ranging impact of demographic dynamics on social, economic and political structures in the Graeco-Roman world. The individual case studies focus on fertility, mortality and migration and the roles they played in various aspects of ancient life. These studies - drawn from a range of populations in Athens and Attica, Rome and Italy, and Graeco-Roman Egypt - illustrate how new insights can be gained by applying demographic methods to familiar themes in ancient history. Methodological issues are addressed in a clear, straightforward manner with no assumption of prior technical knowledge, ensuring that the book is accessible to readers with no training in demography. The book marks an important step forward in ancient historical demography, affirming both the centrality of population studies in ancient history and the contribution that antiquity can make to population history in general"-- Provided by publisher

Through a series of case studies this book demonstrates the wide-ranging impact of demographic dynamics on social, economic and political structures in the Graeco-Roman world. The individual case studies focus on fertility, mortality and migration and the roles they played in various aspects of ancient life. These studies – drawn from a range of populations in Athens and Attica, Rome and Italy, and Graeco-Roman Egypt – illustrate how new insights can be gained by applying demographic methods to familiar themes in ancient history. Methodological issues are addressed in a clear, straightforward manner with no assumption of prior technical knowledge, ensuring that the book is accessible to readers with no training in demography. The book marks an important step forward in ancient historical demography, affirming both the centrality of population studies in ancient history and the contribution that antiquity can make to population history in general.

Machine generated contents note: Introduction: studies in ancient historical demography Claire Holleran and April Pudsey; 1. Demography and development in classical antiquity Neville Morley; 2. Demography and classical Athens Ben Akrigg; 3. Nuptiality and the demographic life cycle of the family in Roman Egypt April Pudsey; 4. Family matters: fertility and its constraints in Roman Italy Saskia Hin; 5. Migration and the demes of Attica Claire Taylor; 6. Counting the Greeks in Egypt: immigration in the first century of Ptolemaic rule Christelle Fischer-Bovet; 7. Migration and the urban economy of Rome Claire Holleran; 8. From the margins to the centre-stage: some closing reflections on ancient historical demography Tim Parkin. "This book has its origins in a conference entitled 'Pre-modern Populations and Economies: the Case of Greece and Rome' which we organised while we were postgraduate students at the University of Manchester in June 2005. Versions of some of the papers were presented at this conference, and others were added later in order to extend the scope of the volume. We would like to thank our speakers: Ben Akrigg, Nigel Goose, Ian Harrison, Mike McCarthy, Neville Morley and Bob Woods, and our session chairs and discussants, Alex Craven, Polly Low and James Thorne"-- Provided by publisher This book provides a series of case studies which demonstrate the usefulness of taking a demographic approach to the social, political and economic history of the Graeco-Roman world. The book will appeal not only to ancient historians but also to demographers and social scientists interested in ancient population studies.