Epigraphy and Demography: Birth, Marriage, Family, and Death

25 Pages Posted: 26 Feb 2008

Abstract

In recent years, the adoption of key concepts and models of modern population studies has greatly advanced our understanding of the demography of the Greco-Roman world. Epigraphic evidence has made a vital contribution to this development: statistical analysis of tens of thousands of tombstone inscriptions has generated new insights into mortality regimes, marriage practices, and family structures in various parts of the ancient Mediterranean. In conjunction with papyrological material, these data permit us to identify regional differences and facilitate long-term comparisons with more recent historical populations. After a brief survey of the principal sources of demographic information about the classical world, this paper focuses on the use of inscriptions in the study of population size, mortality, fertility, nuptiality, sex ratios, family formation, and household organization.

Keywords: Greece, Rome, Population, Demography, Historical Demography, Epigraphy

Suggested Citation

Scheidel, Walter, Epigraphy and Demography: Birth, Marriage, Family, and Death. Princeton/Stanford Working Papers in Classics Paper No. 060701, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1096436 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1096436

Walter Scheidel (Contact Author)

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305-2145
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www,stanford.edu/~scheidel

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