Land Transport in Roman Egypt ― A Study of Economics and Administration in a Roman Province

The papyri of Egypt offer a rich and complex picture of this important Roman province and provide an unparalleled insight into how a Roman province actually worked. They also afford a valuable window into ancient economic behavior and everyday life. This study is the first systematic treatment of the role of land transport within the economic life of Roman Egypt, an everyday economic activity at the center of the economy not only of Egypt but of the Roman world. Colin Adams studies the economics of animal ownership, the role of transport in the commercial and agricultural economies of Egypt, and how the Roman state used provincial resources to meet its own transport demands. He reveals a complex relationship between private individual and state in their use of transport resources, a dynamic and rational economy, and the economic and administrative behavior imposed when an imperial power made demands upon a province.

Colin Adams is Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Liverpool.