The Changing City
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• Urban life in Balkans sharply disrupted by Hun and Ostrogothic invasions.  Anastasius’ and Justinian’s fortifications were mainly palliative.  Little urban life in these settlements in the 6^th century – building and signs of culture dry up together; Stobbi in Yugoslavia, Nicpolis and Philippopolis in Bulgaria.  Greece late 6^th century Argos, Corinth and Sparta abandoned for safer places.  Archaeological evidence not always confirms this but urban settlement changing significantly in later 6^th and 7^th centuries.  Conrinth – people retreated to fortified height of Acrocorinth – became typical of Byzantine settlements in Greece.  Bulgaria and Yugoslavia regrouped around a defensible acropolis or such positions elsewhere.  Byzantine walls at Sparta, as elsewhere, fortify only ancient acropolis not civic centre; place of refuge at time of attack.  Urban change prompted by danger of raids or invasion
• Chronicle of Monemvasia connects movement of Greek populace with Slav invasions of 580 – highly contentious and exact dates difficult to establish.  Talks of movement from Lakedaimon to Monemvasia – but movement was more gradual and different factors bring it about – including a change in economic activity.  582 Athens suffers attacks from Savs and Avars but ever occupied – new building if any was shoddy involving sub-divisions of existing rooms, former fine buildings as olive presses etc.  Similar phenomenon on Africa.
• Subdivision and encroachment on the sites of former grand buildings seen in different regions.  Grand houses maintained into 6^th and 7^th century are split up int smaller dwellings, mud brick flooring over mosaic. – frequently traders and artisans take over public spaces for dwelling – late antique forums taken over, or even palaestra (Anemurium, southern Turkey).  Started early after disruption be Persian invasion in 3^rd century – artisanal activity flourished.  Late 6^th and 7^th centuries baths, aqueducts no longer functioning,  Sbeitla, Tunisia an 7^th century olive press sits on top of the former main street.
• Carthage and North Africa burial in centre, public spaces or sites of old fine houses shows a change in attitude toward common space.  Tempting to think of economic necessity – squatting 0 some textual evidence t Carthage – influx of refugees from other areas
• Local factors – Luni near La Spezia on west coast of Italy – decline of marble trade from nearby Carrera must have affected the town – though survived into 7^th century  decline in material wealth from 6^th century can be seen.
• Loca conditions differed – major cities Asia Minor (Ephesus, Sardis) enjoyed prosperity and expansion in late antiquity – maintained late antique civil life until Persian invasions of early 7^th century.  Urban change is so widespread – connected not only with plague or invasion – but administrative and economic factors – above all relation provincial cities to central administrative organization. Antioch suffers a serious of such problems:
1. Second city of Eastern Empire
2. Plague
3. Earthquake
4. Persian invasion mid 6^th century
5. Deportation many citizens to Persia
6. 7^th century invasions and Arab conquest

• Laodicea and Damascus parallel situations – main feature is encroachment of colonnaded streets of late antiquity by little chops or artisanal buildings – tempted to read as prototype of medieval souk.  This part of the empire what medieval development owed to Islamic conquest?  Wider process already going o over a much bigger geographical area – despite influential local variants.

Other Notes in this Category

1. Economy and Administration of Early Byzantine Cities
2. Financing the State
3. Interpreting Urban Change
4. Introduction and Overview
5. Nature of Late Antiques Towns
6. Settlement and Population Change
7. The Changing City
8. The Classes of Late Antique Society
9. The eastern Mediterranean – settlement and change
10. The Organistion of Labour
11. The ‘Decline of Cities’ and the end of classical antiquity
12. Trade and Traders - Economics Conclusions
13. Urban change and the end of antiquity
14. Urban Violence

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