Overview

Sicily has been the fulcrum of the Mediterranean throughout history. The island's central geographical position and its status as ancient Rome's first overseas province make it key to understanding the development of the Roman Empire. Yet Sicily's crucial role in the empire has been largely overlooked by scholars of classical antiquity, apart from a small number of specialists in its archaeology and material culture. Urbanism and Empire in Roman Sicily offers the first comprehensive English-language overview of the history and archaeology of Roman Sicily since R. J. A. Wilson's Sicily under the Roman Empire (1990). Laura Pfuntner traces the development of cities and settlement networks in Sicily in order to understand the island's political, economic, social, and cultural role in Rome's evolving Mediterranean hegemony. She identifies and examines three main processes traceable in the archaeological record of settlement in Roman Sicily: urban disintegration, urban adaptation, and the development of alternatives to urban settlement. By expanding the scope of research on Roman Sicily beyond the bounds of the island itself, through comparative analysis of the settlement landscapes of Greece and southern Italy, and by utilizing exciting evidence from recent excavations and surveys, Pfuntner establishes a new empirical foundation for research on Roman Sicily and demonstrates the necessity of including Sicily in broader historical and archaeological studies of the Roman Empire.

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9781477317228

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Reviews

Pfuntner's work is a welcome addition to the history and archaeology of Roman Sicily, the most comprehensive treatment since [R.J.A.] Wilson's Sicily Under the Roman Empire. * American Journal of Archaeology * A fundamental contribution to the study of Roman Sicily within the wider context of the Roman Empire. * Antiquity * Scholars of ancient Sicily will be able to find numerous stimuli for further research developments, but [Urbanism and Empire in Roman Sicily] at the same time can satisfy the interests of a wider public of readers. * Sehepunkte * This book makes an important contribution to the understudied topic of Roman Sicily....the book delivers on its stated intention to ground and inspire future research. * CHOICE *

This book makes an important contribution to the understudied topic of Roman Sicily....the book delivers on its stated intention to ground and inspire future research. * CHOICE *

A most welcome addition to the scholarly literature on Roman Siciliy [that] treats its subject well...[Urbanism and Empire in Roman Sicily] reads well and clearly presents the evidence on which the conclusions are built. It will become a point of departure for any reader wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the complex processes behind changes in settlement patterns in Roman Sicily. * The Classical Review * Pfuntner's work is a welcome addition to the history and archaeology of Roman Sicily, the most comprehensive treatment since [R.J.A.] Wilson's Sicily Under the Roman Empire. * American Journal of Archaeology * A fundamental contribution to the study of Roman Sicily within the wider context of the Roman Empire. * Antiquity * Scholars of ancient Sicily will be able to find numerous stimuli for further research developments, but [Urbanism and Empire in Roman Sicily] at the same time can satisfy the interests of a wider public of readers. * Sehepunkte * This book makes an important contribution to the understudied topic of Roman Sicily....the book delivers on its stated intention to ground and inspire future research. * CHOICE *

Author Information

Laura Pfuntner is a lecturer in ancient history at Queen’s University Belfast.

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