ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides the two-fold topic encapsulated in the opening discussion of Heraclides—that is, the reappraisal of how people perceive and assess ancient urban planning through both word and image. It considers material spanning from early Greece to modern Rome. The book describes the scenographic dimensions of ancient urban plans, thereby permitting the reader to parachute into a city and also considers its texture from the point of view of a pedestrian. Generations of scholars will continue to benefit from the magisterial work of John Travlos, whose cumulative plans of the city remain a touchstone for the study of ancient urban planning. The contributions sought to inform theoretical frameworks, thereby broadening as well as reassessing the existing discourse on ancient urban plans.
