The Real Estate Market in the Roman World

The property market in Ancient Rome was a key and dynamic economic sector, requiring a deep understanding of Roman society, normative frameworks, and wealth, value, identity, and status. This book explores real estate as a subject of short- and long-term economic investments, speculative businesses ventures, power abuses and inequalities, social aspirations, and essential housing needs. It discusses relevant and new literary, legal, epigraphic, papyrological, and archaeological evidence, incorporating comparative historical perspectives and methodologies. The contributions investigate the impact of ideas such as profit, risk, security, and trust in transfers, management, and use of residential houses, commercial buildings, and productive estates in urban and rural contexts. The book aims to demonstrate the relevance of the study of pre-modern real estate markets today and will be of interest to readers of economic history, Roman law, Roman archaeology, the history of urbanism, and social history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 22 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In the vibrant and ever-evolving landscape of Ancient Rome, the property market held a pivotal and dynamic role as a key economic sector. Its intricate study necessitates a profound comprehension of Roman society, encompassing the normative frameworks and the profound notions of wealth, value, identity, and status that shaped the collective and individual mentalities. This comprehensive volume delves into the multifaceted realm of real estate, exploring its multifaceted aspects as a subject of short-term economic investments, speculative business ventures, power abuses, inequalities, social aspirations, and, most importantly, essential housing needs.

The volume meticulously examines a wealth of relevant and groundbreaking literary, legal, epigraphic, papyrological, and archaeological evidence, seamlessly integrating comparative historical perspectives and methodologies, including economic theory and ongoing critical sociological debates regarding the functioning of modern real estate markets and the challenges associated with their commodification and regulation. Throughout this scholarly pursuit, the contributions compiled within the book investigate the profound impact of ideas such as profit, risk, security, and trust in the transfers, management, and utilization of residential houses, commercial buildings, and productive estates across urban and rural contexts. Moreover, the work evaluates the legal responses and public enforcement strategies employed to address these activities, as well as the high mobility of fortunes and unstable property rights that emerged as a result of one-time but also structural, political, financial, economic, and institutional crises that marked the history of the Roman Republic and Principate.

This book serves as a testament to the enduring relevance of studying pre-modern real estate markets in the contemporary world. It holds immense interest for readers spanning economic history, Roman law, Roman archaeology, the history of urbanism, and social history. By unraveling the intricacies of the Roman property market, this volume offers valuable insights into the complex tapestry of ancient society, shedding light on the profound interplay between economics, law, culture, and society in the ancient world.

Weight: 730g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032035338