Land, Landowners, and Tenants

This chapter investigates the village agricultural economy, and the evidence for landowning in the early Roman period is interpreted against the generally accepted framework of land tenure in Roman Egypt. The first part of the chapter investigates the location, distribution, and management of the different categories of land. In light of the land-related contracts that were registered at the record-office, a second section discusses the identity and social status of the holders of public land and owners and tenants of private land, their social and economic relations, and how these affected the general social structure of the village. The last part of the chapter examines the role of viticulture, oil production, and pastoralism.

Conclusions

The Conclusions provide a summary of the main findings of the study on village life in early Roman Tebtunis as they have emerged in the previous chapters and discuss the significance of its formal and informal village institutions within the wider context of Roman Egypt. In the light of the evidence from other periods in Egypt (Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, and post-Roman) and from other parts of the eastern Roman Empire (e.g. Asia Minor and Syria), a discussion follows as to what extent this village study can be used as a model of village economy and society in the Roman world more generally, and for wider comparison with villages in the medieval and later periods.

Social Stratification in First-Century Tebtunis

This chapter reviews current views of social stratification in Roman Egypt, then discusses the role, nature, and composition of the various social groups attested in the village of Tebtunis. These include the local elite, consisting of some priestly families and landowners of Hellenic descent or with a strong Hellenized background, members of the numerous professional associations involved in various agricultural and non-agricultural activities, the indigenous population, and slaves. Based on their contractual activity and other contemporary evidence, a close-up analysis is provided for each social group. Socio-economic trends emerge which shed light on the behaviour of the various groups and give us deeper insight into the complex realities of the village, including living standards.

The Kronion Archive

This chapter discusses the role, nature, and composition of the archive of Kronion, the head of the local notarial office, which provides the main evidence for this study. First, it analyses the various types of document belonging to the archive, that is contracts, registers, and accounts, and explains how these will be used to reconstruct the socio-economic history of Tebtunis. Second, it examines the administrative functioning of the record-office, the role of the notary and other employees, and reconstructs the role of the record-office in the local community and within the wider (regional and provincial) network.

The Non-Agricultural Economy

This chapter examines the role and importance of the non-agricultural activities that were practised in first-century Tebtunis, including crafts and trades of various kind and state concessions. In particular, it investigates the internal functioning and administrative practices of the best-documented of these economic activities, which include textile production and the sale of salt, and the social status of the people involved. This chapter explores the importance of the village state concessions, their relationship with the local associations, and their contribution to the local economy. A discussion follows on the socio-economic implications of the presence of non-agricultural activities in the village, which includes the nature and size of regional and inter-regional links, and monetization.

The People of Tebtunis

After a review of current scholarly debates about the size and structure of the population of Roman Egypt, this chapter estimates the size of the population of Tebtunis and the percentage of individuals who entered written contracts and other documents at the record-office, including an examination of age and sex distribution, and the role of women. Adopting an onomastic approach, one section analyses patterns in the names of the attested individuals for devotion to local deities and choice of Egyptian, Greek, or mixed names. The last two sections of the chapter focus on the most common housing arrangements in Tebtunis as attested in the contracts and strategies for household formation and for avoiding fragmentation of property.

Introduction

The introductory chapter provides an overview of the content, aims, and scope of the book. After giving a general description of the main evidence, it explains why Tebtunis is one of the best candidates for a village study in the early Roman Empire, discusses other village studies in Egypt that provide a basis for comparison with Tebtunis, and illustrates how this study contributes to our current knowledge and understanding of ancient society, economy, and culture. The chapter also includes a discussion on the validity of the Egyptian evidence and on the typicality of the Fayum, and a description of the site of Tebtunis, with a focus on the extant houses, including the main written evidence for the early Roman period. The last two sections outline the main aims of the book, explaining how this study fits the definition of microhistory, and provide an overview of the chapters.