The Cambridge Economic History of the Greco-Roman World [Hardcover]

Walter Scheidel (Editor), Ian Morris (Editor), Richard P. Saller (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 21, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0521780535 | ISBN-13: 978-0521780537

In this, the first comprehensive one-volume survey of the economies of classical antiquity, twenty-eight chapters summarise the current state of scholarship in their specialised fields and sketch new directions for research. The approach taken is both thematic, with chapters on the underlying determinants of economic performance, and chronological, with coverage of the whole of the Greek and Roman worlds extending from the Aegean Bronze Age to Late Antiquity. The contributors move beyond the substantivist-formalist debates that dominated twentieth-century scholarship and display a new interest in economic growth in antiquity. New methods for measuring economic development are explored, often combining textual and archaeological data that have previously been treated separately. Fully accessible to non-specialist, the volume represents a major advance in our understanding of the economic expansion that made the civilisation of the classical Mediterranean world possible.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"By presenting current scholarship and its prospective future course, the editors have produced a very important work. Prodigious bibliography (148 pages). Summing up: Highly recommended."
--Choice

"This is certainly an extraordinary book on the Ancient Mediterranean economies that ought to be read and quoted by all historians who work in the field of pre-industrial economics. This excellent project was brought to completion by its 3 editors and 27 contributors over the span of a decade." --BMCR

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive one-volume survey of the economics of classical antiquity. It explores new methods for measuring economic development and represents a major advance in our understanding of the economic expansion that made the civilisation of the classical Mediterranean world possible.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 958 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521780535
• ISBN-13: 978-0521780537
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 2.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding May 27, 2008

By Steven Farron

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a retired professor of Classics. My speciality was ancient Greek and Latin poetry, not history. So, I can review this book with more knowledge than most, but not as much knowledge as some. Its contributors are among the world's leading ancient historians; and their contributions provide both a broad survey and an intensive analysis of a subject that is more interesting and important than many people realize.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine synthesis of economic history of Greece and Rome August 14, 2012

By Herman N. Barreto

Format:Hardcover

We can disagree sometimes about the arguments or the data presented by individual authors, but the book is a very nice synthesis of the last twenty years of research in the field. The price of hardcover edition is unusually expensive, but the book was wrote by the leading figures of the ancient economic history and assemble much information dispersed in articles and specialized monographies published in German, Italian, French, Spanish, and, of course, in English. So if you are really interested in the contemporary debate in the field you must buy this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for the scholar and reasearcher of ancient economic, legal and technological developments May 12, 2013

By Mr. Randall C. F. Croes

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Themes are well classified in the book. The compilation of different University studies on each theme makes it easy to read and good reference book for research or consultation.

Good explanation of methodology applied, limitations of data collection and sources of information.
Chapters of Technology applied in Agriculture and manufacturing of consumer goods and construction materials are quite interesting and well researched.
It provides good description and analysis of the economic laws of the Roman Empire, Greece and Near East empires, such as the primitive forms of companies/partnerships and family business. It also has insightful information of the contracting and employment. There are Interesting tables, maps and figures with useful information illustrate properly the ideas and conclusions presented by qualified scholars.

It shed's light on the advent of the banking industry in the west, particularly in Greece in the last centuries before the fall of the Roman Empire. The book covers areas such as Urbanization, use of Metals, advanced large scale agriculture, trade, co\nsumer product distribution, taxation and production of basic goods.

There is a practical focus on regional economics, based on very local natural resources, political and institutional developments and technological capacity.

A highly recommended literature for those interested in the economic, sociological and technological aspects of the Western and Near East civilizations in the Hellenistic and Roman eras.