Egypt and the Roman maritime trade : a focus on Alexandria
Egypt and the Roman maritime trade : a focus on Alexandria
This thesis investigates the role of Egypt in roman maritime trade, focusing on Alexandria as the core of the trade and transport systems in Roman Egypt. The study examines the environmental milieu, which affected trade and water transport in the province. Consequently, it discusses different practical, functional and administrative aspects of the water transport mechanisms in roman Egypt with a special emphasis on the Alexandria harbours and canals system. By doing so, the research aims to shed light on the Roman contribution to the infrastructure of the system, and the way it was utilised to receive and dispatch vessels of internal and external traffic.
In an effort to examine the contribution of Alexandrian products to Roman trade, the study explores material and literary evidence for the size, extent and localisation of industrial activities that took place in the city and its outskirts, as well as evidence for the occurrence of Alexandrian products in other Mediterranean regions.
By providing a perspective of the economy of roman Alexandria, the thesis demonstrates that the uniqueness of Alexandria was not merely due to the physical characteristics of its harbours, but it was a direct result of the city’s connection with a network of internal waterways. The study also illustrates that, despite the significant role that Alexandria played in the Roman economy as a crossroads for overseas trade and the main point of exit for Egyptian products and raw materials, the roman physical contribution towards the development of the Alexandria harbour system was limited. The thesis shows that economic activities in roman Alexandria were directly related to agricultural and industrial activities that took place in the countryside, which supplied Alexandria with products for local consumption as well as for trade. Accordingly, the study concludes that Roman Alexandria should not be conceived as a ‘producer city’ but it was rather a ‘consumer city’ whose economy was based on the services it provided for overseas commerce.
University of Southampton
2005
Khalil, Emad
(2005)
Egypt and the Roman maritime trade : a focus on Alexandria.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis investigates the role of Egypt in roman maritime trade, focusing on Alexandria as the core of the trade and transport systems in Roman Egypt. The study examines the environmental milieu, which affected trade and water transport in the province. Consequently, it discusses different practical, functional and administrative aspects of the water transport mechanisms in roman Egypt with a special emphasis on the Alexandria harbours and canals system. By doing so, the research aims to shed light on the Roman contribution to the infrastructure of the system, and the way it was utilised to receive and dispatch vessels of internal and external traffic.
In an effort to examine the contribution of Alexandrian products to Roman trade, the study explores material and literary evidence for the size, extent and localisation of industrial activities that took place in the city and its outskirts, as well as evidence for the occurrence of Alexandrian products in other Mediterranean regions.
By providing a perspective of the economy of roman Alexandria, the thesis demonstrates that the uniqueness of Alexandria was not merely due to the physical characteristics of its harbours, but it was a direct result of the city’s connection with a network of internal waterways. The study also illustrates that, despite the significant role that Alexandria played in the Roman economy as a crossroads for overseas trade and the main point of exit for Egyptian products and raw materials, the roman physical contribution towards the development of the Alexandria harbour system was limited. The thesis shows that economic activities in roman Alexandria were directly related to agricultural and industrial activities that took place in the countryside, which supplied Alexandria with products for local consumption as well as for trade. Accordingly, the study concludes that Roman Alexandria should not be conceived as a ‘producer city’ but it was rather a ‘consumer city’ whose economy was based on the services it provided for overseas commerce.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Published date: 2005
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 465707
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/465707
PURE UUID: 3a27f98c-9579-419c-9592-2ca6bd219923
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 02:40
Last modified: 05 Jul 2022 02:40
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Emad Khalil
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics