This collection of essays is the first volume in a new series, Oxford Studies on the Roman Economy. Edited by the series editors, it focuses on the economic performance of the Roman empire, analysing the extent to which Roman political domination of the Mediterranean and north-west Europe created the conditions for the integration of agriculture, production, trade, and commerce across the regions of the empire. Using the evidence of both documents and archaeology, the contributors suggest how we can derive a quantified account of economic growth and contraction in the period of the empire`s greatest extent and prosperity.

Table of Contents:
1: Alan Bowman & Andrew Wilson: Introduction. Quantifying the Roman economy: integration, growth, decline?
I. Urbanization
2: Elio Lo Cascio: Urbanization as a proxy of demographic and economic growth
3: Roger Bagnall: Response to Elio Lo Cascio
II. Field survey and demography
4: Willem Jongman: Archaeology, demography, and Roman economic growth
5: Elizabeth Fentress: Peopling the countryside: Roman demography in the Albegna Valley and Jerba
6: David Mattingly: Peopling ancient landscapes: potential and problems
III. Agriculture
7: Alan Bowman: Quantifying Egyptian agriculture
8: Roger Bagnall: Response to Alan Bowman
IV. Trade
9: Andrew Wilson: Approaches to quantifying Roman trade
10: Michael Fulford: Approaches to quantifying Roman trade: response
11: William Harris: A comment on Andrew Wilson: `Approaches to quantifying Roman trade`
V. Coinage
12: Bruce Hitchner: Coinage and metal supply
13: Matthew Ponting: Roman silver coinage: mints, metallurgy, and production
14: Chris Howgego: Some numismatic approaches to quantifying the Roman economy
VI. Prices, earnings and standards of living
15: Dominic Rathbone: Earnings and costs: living standards and the Roman economy
16: Bob Allen: How prosperous were the Romans?
17: Walter Scheidel: New ways of studying incomes in the Roman economy