The papyri of Egypt offer a rich and complex picture of this important Roman province and provide an unparalleled insight into how a Roman province actually worked. They also afford a valuable window into ancient economic behaviour and everyday life. This study is the first systematic treatment of the role of land transport within the economic life of Roman Egypt, an everyday economic activity at the centre of the economy not only of Egypt but of the Roman world. Colin Adams studies the economics of animal ownership, the role of transport in the commercial and agricultural economies of Egypt, and how the Roman state used provincial resources to meet its own transport demands. He reveals a complex relationship between private individual and state in their use of transport resources, a dynamic and rational economy, and the economic and administrative behaviour imposed when an imperial power made demands upon a province.

the enormous amount of information and the conclusions reached by Adams on the basis of careful analysis of the relevant documents... make this book a must-read for those interested in all aspects of transport... in antiquity * Janneke de Jong, The Classical Review *
A dazzling study of the organisation of land transport...this book can be enthusiastically recommended. * Wim Broekaert, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
Lucid prose replaces sums, tables and speculative graphs. This is a story about what it was like on the ground: not

Colin Adams is Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Liverpool.