ABSTRACT
This collection of papers, taken from a 1995 conference with the same working title, brings together work on two of the currently most popular, but also most provocative subjects in ancient history – namely, the ancient economy and the ancient city. To bring these two subjects together for the specific purpose of joint consideration might be thought overdue for, in the past few years in particular, much research on the ancient economy has converged on economic structures engendered by the city, while, at the same time, discussion of the ancient city has frequently been diverted towards economic issues. 1 This volume includes chapters on these subjects in Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern history. The broad aim, then, is to explore more closely, and to offer new perspectives on, the types of relationships between trade, traders and the city in antiquity and the ways in which they impacted on one another.
