TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > The transformation of classical cities and the Pirenne debate
- Hodges and Whitehouse conclude – Roman trade, cities, rural settlement and population levels collapsed not in 7th century but in 5th century partly under barbarian invasion – East 6th 7th century due to wars of Justinian. Leads to general entropy of social and economic life – autarkic settlements, decline cities vanish or administrative or ecclesiastical admin. Trade only for non-commercial means. Recovery only when silver from Caorlignians, Byzantium irrelevancy.
- Rome by Krauthheimer and Constantinople by Mango as under populated, dilapidated fading distortions of their past.
- Ward-Perkins – archaeologist, literary evidence etc – 3rd century decline of patronage by local aristocracies, replacement first by state, and then senatorial nobility, then by state and church. Marks 6th century change from sentimental and aesthetic attitude towards public monuments to strictly utilitarian – argues for continuity through keeping of street plans.
- Hodges and Whitehouse – never clarify concept of society and economy – essentially shops and manufacturing industries, which disappear in 5th century. Classicists see city more of centre religion, politics, culture local administration and display.
- Fate of nobiles, secular administration, secular Roman-style government, patrons and stimulants more important – indeed Rome never a manufacturing city, decline bound up with decline of its aristocratic
- WP rarely looks at political and economic contexts, but instead reminds of rich regional variations behind uniform façade of Roman urbanity
Comments
