Statistics in Ancient History
38 Pages Posted: 14 Feb 2013 Last revised: 19 Feb 2013
Date Written: February 13, 2013
Abstract
This paper uses new data to extend the argument that there was an integrated wheat market in the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. I explore the meaning of randomness when data are scarce, and I investigate how we recreate the nature of ancient societies by asking new questions that stimulate the discovery of more information. The case for a prosperous Roman society extending the length of the Mediterranean Sea is strong. This paper draws on and extends work reported in my new book: The Roman Market Economy (Princeton, 2013).
Keywords: small samples, randomness, scarce data, Roman economy, ancient trade
JEL Classification: N73, C20, F61
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation