ABSTRACT
A true economic history of the rental market from below needs to not only address those who lived in minuscule dwellings or miserable quarters but should also include those who were priced out completely and expelled from the rental market, becoming homeless and unsheltered. Even though ancient evidence for the homeless is scarce, especially when we try to differentiate them from beggars, homeless people were not absolutely invisible in the sources, as they were not invisible in the city of Rome. This chapter focuses on reconstructing their experience in Rome, including their challenges and agency. The final aim is to integrate homelessness into the study of Roman housing.
