Introduction

The spread of cities on the Roman model, within at least the western Mediterranean, can be seen as one of the great successes of Roman rule. This was not merely a question of institutions and procedures imposed under compulsion, even though Rome did often provide local constitutions and the strongest single impetus came from veteran settlement. Urbanisation on the Roman model also rapidly became a movement sustained by positive forces at the local level.

First, there was some direct eagerness to imitate the city of Rome and the existing cities of Roman type, both in their institutions and in their physical appearance. Roman practices tended to spread even where Roman institutions did not exist. The introduction of magistracies and priesthoods soon fuelled the social ambitions of local aristocracies. And the newly invented position of Augustalis provided a surrogate office for wealthy former slaves, excluded by Augustus from the town council. Provincial cities competed with each other for titles and other marks of status. The rites of urban life meant ceremonies, shows, handouts and new public buildings. Ulpian defined domicile as the place where a man makes his purchases, sales and contracts, and where he goes to the forum, the baths and the shows.

Many of these features had obvious popular appeal and reinforced the involvement of ordinary people in town life.