Building Mid-Republican Rome
Labor, Architecture, and the Urban Economy
Seth Bernard
Reviews and Awards
"In this innovative and impressive study, Seth Bernard examines public construction at Rome between the Gallic sack and the mid-third century BC in order to explore its social and economic consequences. He draws on archaeological, numismatic, and epigraphic evidence as well as literary sources to focus our attention on this neglected aspect of Republican economic history. His chapters marry often novel analyses of seemingly disparate developments to shed unexpectedly revealing light on them. The conclusions he draws boldly challenge much of what we thought we knew about developments in this period and are certain to provoke salutary debate and reevaluation among scholars of the mid- Republic (as they did for this one) ... Bernard has written an important and timely book, one that takes its place among a number of recent studies that are fundamentally reshaping our picture of early and mid-Republican Rome." -- Nathan Rosenstein, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"This book provides an interdisciplinary insight into Rome's mid-republican architecture, building technology, economic and socio-political history." -- Niccolo Mugnai Classical Review
"Many of the topics are considered holistically and intertwine over several chapters, rendering the author's arguments more persuasive. The volume comes together to provide a vivid description of the mounting sophistication of Rome during the mid-Republican period. This is an excellent and ably presented book, balancing a wide-ranging approach with intricate detail." -- Albert J. Nijboer, Antiquity