Late Roman African Urbanism: Continuity and Transformation in the City

Oxbow says: Based on archaeological, literary and epigraphic sources, this study focuses on processes of continuity and change in Late Roman North Africa, from the late 3rd to the early 5th century AD. Sears uses a series of case studies - the cities of Carthage, Ammaedara, Thuburbo, Theveste, Sufetula, Cuicul, Thamugadi, Sitifis, Tipasa, Lepcis Magna and Sabratha - to examine continuity in aspects of urban life, including judicial, religious, defensive and entertainment spheres. In particular, he looks in detail at the construction of churches, tensions between the Donatist and Catholic churches and between Christian and pagan, and examines their impact on North African cities in general. Evidence from his case studies are drawn together in the final chapter to produce a model for North African urban life in the Late Roman period.