Title: What did the Romans ever do for them? Aqueducts and the administration of the Empire
(with Per F Andersson (Stockholm University), Francesco Forcher, Andrea Matranga (University of Turin), Filip Novokmet (University of Zagreb), and Tomasz Zawisza (OECD)
Abstract: A long-standing historical puzzle is why the Roman Empire persisted so long, given its low administrative and repressive capacity, vast territory, and hugely diverse population. We investigate this question by focusing on cultural assimilation. The spread of Roman cultural identity fostered a sense of shared community and thus facilitated the administration of the empire. Scholars have debated how this cultural change took place, distinguishing between a spontaneous process with native elites adopting Roman identity, and direct state intervention such as the spread of imperial ideology or major infrastructure works. We investigate the latter by focusing on aqueducts as a highly visible form of state intervention. We measure Roman identity using ancient inscriptions. Using this data, we construct our two indicators: epigraphic density, and the spread of Roman names. To address potential endogeneity concerns, we employ an instrumental variable approach based on an aqueduct suitability index for the whole Roman empire and a difference in differences strategy. Our preliminary findings suggest that aqueducts predict a higher degree of Romanization, a finding that is robust to a number of controls and estimation approaches.
This is an in-person event.
Host: Mattia Bertazzini
Sir Clive Granger BuildingUniversity of NottinghamUniversity Park Nottingham, NG7 2RD
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