Why Roman Cities were Abandone

· algieg's blog


The Roman Empire began as a city-state and expanded into a network of 2,000 cities from Britain to Syria. Roman cities administered fixed territories, with local elites collecting taxes and maintaining order in exchange for opportunities in the Pax Romana. This system flourished until the 3rd century when barbarian invasions and economic crises led to decline. Cities on frontiers were damaged or destroyed, and even those spared erected walls. Stability returned in the 4th century, but social changes hindered recovery. Wealthy magnates left for imperial administration, a trend that led to the impoverishment and reduced willingness of those who remained to govern. Cities important to the empire's governance, like Arles and Trier, thrived in late antiquity, but most Northwestern urban centers with shallow roots contracted, with Londinium being abandoned after the Roman evacuation of Britain. Cities near the Mediterranean were more likely to survive the Western Roman Empire's collapse, as they were closer to vital trade routes and peacefully integrated into barbarian kingdoms. However, these coastal cities later faced pirate attacks, prompting inhabitants to relocate to defensible hills. Cities in the Eastern Roman Empire remained healthy until the early 7th century when Avars, Slavs, Persians, and Arabs caused disruptions. Cities in Syria and Palestine, near the Umayyad Caliphate's center, survived and prospered after Arab conquests. Eventually, raids and invasions affected almost every region, exemplified by the Anatolian plateau's inhabitants abandoning cities for castles and caves due to Arab horsemen. Climate change, such as the cooling period in late antiquity, also impacted cities like Sagalassos in the Taurus Mountains. Environmental issues like salination in Egypt's Fayum Basin, siltation in Ephesus and Miletus's harbors, and earthquakes causing parts of Alexandria and Baiae to sink further contributed to urban decline. The spread of deadly falciparum malaria, exacerbated by deforestation, transformed areas like the Roman Campania into wastelands. Economic changes, particularly along former frontiers dependent on military spending and the disruption of trade routes after events like the Arab conquest, also led to the abandonment of cities, exemplified by the "Dead Cities" of northern Syria.

The Foundation and Flourishing of Roman Cities #

Decline in the 3rd and 4th Centuries #

Geographical Factors Influencing Survival #

Invasions and Climate Change #

Environmental and Health Factors #

Economic Shifts #

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