ABSTRACT
Roman towns were never static entities nor were they all different types of Pompeii captured in time. Ups and downs in patronage, transfers of wealth to the bigger cities, wars, natural disasters, inflation, all these had effects on each and every town in the Roman world. Too often, in fact, an all-too-clean image of the ancient town is presented, one of urban pride in sparkling marble-clad public edifices, processions of proud statuary and odourless, free-flowing drains. Sometimes and in some places, undoubtedly, this image may well be true, but it seems more likely that most centres underwent long sessions when monumental building work ground to a halt, with half-finished architectural elements, discarded bricks and abandoned scaffolding choking up the urban space. On top of that, the costs of maintenance of structures, repairs to leaking roofs and general weed clearance must have been common problems to most towns – witness any present-day Italian town, abounding in green netting from long-abandoned restoration projects, or with rubbish accumulating in the courtyards of long-unopened churches. 1
