Going Somewhere? Migration and Economic Mobility in the Roman West

Dr. Jeffrey Easton

Lecturer, Department of Classics, University of Toronto

Understanding patterns of migration and geographical mobility is as essential for the study of ancient societies as it is for contemporary ones. An awareness of such demographic patterns in the history of the Roman empire illuminates a broad spectrum of social issues, including the character of regional labor markets and economies and decisions by individual families about how best to pursue social and economic advancement. Scholarly interest in this area of Roman social history has increased in recent years, though the research needs new data-sets that allow for the systematic study of fundamental questions.