Collapse or adaptation? The problem of the urban decline in late antique Greece
Collapse or adaptation? The problem of the urban decline in late antique Greece
The examination of the archaeological evidence from the main urban centers of late antique Greece shows that only in a few cases (Thessalonica, Nikopolis) did the ancient urban layout and street grid survive beyond ca. 500. In most other cases, the urban occupation was considerably diminished and re-grouped on a fortified acropolis, while previously grand buildings were turned into modest houses or workshops. Another parallel phenomenon is the appearance of intramural burials, often right in the agora. Neither earthquakes, nor the plague or barbarian invasions can be blamed for this phenomenon, which seems to have been associated instead with the withdrawal of the urban elites and the interruption of long-distance trade connections. When troops and administration were finally withdrawn from the Balkans in ca. 620, most urban centers in Greece were abandoned.
Keywords: Cities, villas, workshops, baths, earthquakes, plague, amphorae
Edinburgh Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
