The Great Privatization? Industry, Trade and the State in Roman Egypt

The transition from Hellenistic (305–30 BC) to Roman (30 BC–284 AD) rule in Egypt is often cast in terms of a ‘Great Privatization’ of the industry and trade sectors. For the first time, the proposed project will provide an in-depth study of these developments, challenging the narrative of a radical break between a state-controlled versus a market economy following the Roman conquest. It will furthermore redefine the terms of the debate, shifting the focus to the effects of change on the economy and society. Abundant evidence for the regulation of industrial and trade activities in Roman Egypt has been preserved through the thousands of papyri unearthed from the desert sand. For a solid theoretical foundation of this research, the project will draw on the framework of Complexity Economics. The results of this analysis will not only have profound implications for our understanding of the economy of Roman Egypt and the welfare and wellbeing of its population, but they will also contribute to wider debates about the impact of empire in the Roman world and the role of markets in pre-industrial economies.