Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 October 2020
The title of this chapter may seem provocative. While a port society is typically perceived to be an unambiguous concept, it is an anachronistic one when applied to the ancient world. 1It has yet to be conclusively proven that societies living in areas connected by waterways, and therefore with access to major commercial routes, differed significantly from other land-based urban settlements of equal size. However, we ought to pause here a moment to observe an undoubted fact, especially evident for example in Hispania: the social behaviours of coastal cities differ from those of inland settlements of a similar scale. The evidence related to social promotion is crucial in this case, with freedmen playing a key role. In contrast, the noted social conservatism of inland societies has contributed to the creation of a power struggle between such open and closed societies.2 Perhaps this is not the forum to discuss and clarify these issues, but it can be argued that the society of Narona was an open one, and its port access can be considered an essential determinant of this characteristic, as it was for most coastal cities for which there is sufficient historical information. Furthermore, its location at the midpoint of the north Adriatic maritime trade route enhanced the significance of the city.3
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