Description
Book SynopsisThis book explores urbanism in Antiquity from an archaeological perspective, focusing on the area of western Thessaly in central Greece. Presenting all the available evidence for ancient urban sites in the region, the study outlines and discusses the origins, development, and decline of urbanism in the area.
The archaeological evidence shows that urban sites in western Thessaly developed from the mid-4th century BCE, with at least 25 identified contemporaneous cities spread over the area. These cities appear to have been planned and organised from the onset, with regular street-grids, fortification systems and water supply works, but were generally short-lived, typically existing for only five–six generations. Most of the sites were completely or nearly completely abandoned as settlements in the early 2nd century BCE, often with evidence of violent destruction, and only a handful survived as smaller regional centres under the Roman administration. Restorations of the former urban sites and especially their fortifications occur towards the end of Antiquity, especially the first half of the 6th century CE, but re-occupation appears again to have been short lived, as only three cities survived into the Middle Ages.
From a regional perspective, the study shows that the rise and fall of urbanism itself did not necessarily cause complete socio-political disruption, but rather reflect changes in regional and supra-regional political organisation. On a global scale, the study exemplifies the political nature of the pre-Industrial city, its synthetic rather than organic role in agrarian societies, and the cyclic nature of urbanity in history.
The book contains an extensive catalogue, presenting each site with photographs, topographical sketches, and complete bibliography.
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction The topography of Western Thessaly A very brief overview of the history of ancient Western Thessaly A summary of previous research ‘Cities’ in Western Thessaly, or, how to compile a catalogue Chapter 2: The evidence The pre-Urban setting The urban sites of the late Classical and subsequent periods Non-urban fortified sites Textual evidence Chapter 3: Discussion The late Classical and Hellenistic cities The Roman-period cities The Early Byzantine towns Estimating urban populations Territory, a terrible term The nature of urbanisation, or, who paid for it all? De-urbanisation and the non-organic nature of cities The returns of cities and ‘cyclic urbanism’ Chapter 4: Conclusions Appendix 1: Catalogue of sites 1. Chtouri 2. Domokos 3. Ekkara with environs 4. Episkopi 5. Ermitsi with environs 6. Farsala 7. Fiki 8. Fyllo with environs 9. Gefyria 10. Kalampaka 11. Kallithiro with environs 12. Kalogiroi 13. Kedros 14. Klokotos 15. Krini 16. Metamorfosi 17. Mitropoli 18. Myrini 19. Neo Monastiri 20. Paliogardiki 21. Pialeia 22. Proastio 23. Pyrgos Ithomis 24. Pyrgos Kieriou 25. Omvriasa 26. Skoumpos 27. Sykies 28. Trikala 29. Vlochos 30. Zarkos with environs Appendix 2: Catalogue of fortified sites Bibliography
