- Rome and the Indian Ocean Trade from Augustus to the Early Third Century CE by Matthew Cobb (2018; ISBN 978-9004373099) Advanced Economic The title is mostly self-explanatory, though it gives some background of Ptolemaic and pre-Roman trade in the Indian ocean. It covers trade going both ways, to India and to Rome, looks into archaeological finds, discusses the organization, state support, trade routes, trade (im?)balance, and development over the centuries. It’s a bit heavy for a light read, but it’s excellent for getting into some of the finer details, while still providing a broad overview. Land Transport in Roman Egypt: A Study of Economics and Administration in a Roman Province, by Colin Adams. (2007; ISBN 9780199203970) Advanced Economic This one is quite targeted, not to mention explanatory. Egypt is the province that, thanks to its climate, has more preserved papyri than any other. As a result, it offers an otherwise impossible glimpse into the workings of a Roman province, albeit an incredibly unique one. Egypt was directly administered by the Emperor himself, and its development was crucial for Rome, both economically and for the maintenance of the social order. The Water Supply of Ancient Rome: A Study of Roman Imperial Administration by Christer Bruun (1991; ISBN 9789516532236) PhD-Level Economic Social Water supply is too easily forgotten about in the modern day, but it was crucial for the Romans. Many of Rome’s most impressive architectural achievements were focused around water, whether it was to drain it or to channel it to where it was needed. Rome itself was a centre of this, and with a population of a million people, ensuring that fresh water was perpetually available was a monumental task. The Romans especially consumed water at a prodigious rate: their baths, fountains, and even fish gardens required a regular supply. Ancient Economies, Modern Methodologies: archaeology, comparative history, models, and institutions, eds. Peter Fibiger Bang, Mamoru Ikeguchi, Harmut G. Ziche (2006; ISBN 9788872284889) PhD-Level Economic If you need to find some of the most up-to-date scholarship on economic theory of the ancient world, this is a good place to start. It’s far from a book for light reading, but it will give the reader a sense of the field, not to mention the general uncertainty of exactly how much it is possible for us to know or theorize. It includes papers on taxation, tribute, trade, administration, banking, business, markets, and more. The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean, by Raoul McLaughlin. (2014; ISBN 978-1783463817) Entry-Level Economic This one’s quite solid, quite accessible, and is a great introduction to Roman trade in the Indian ocean, as per the title. It’s well written and well-cited, which gives an educated non-specialist a great introductory view into the topic. The book itself is short and won’t give you everything that a more specialized book would, but it’s certainly a great start. It covers the general purpose and mechanics behind Indo-Roman trade, as well as the preferred routes and markets.
- Rome and the Distant East: Trade Routes to the Ancient Lands of Arabia, India, and China, by Raoul McLaughlin. (2010; ISBN 9781847252357) Advanced Economic Use your local library on this one, because while it’s got some frankly amazing stuff, such as this handy dandy chart, you shouldn’t have to pay $150 to see the things within. It’s similar to his previous book on Indian Ocean trade, but not only is it far more in-depth on that front, but it also covers land trade. If you would like – or need – to do a deeper investigation into Roman trade with the empires to its east, this is the one to look for.
The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Economy, ed. Walter Scheidel. (2012; ISBN 9780521726887) Intermediate Economic Cambridge Companions are good, and Scheidel is one of the best scholars in the field. This one is more focused on the Roman world, but gives a great overview of both modern studies in the field and more specialized aspects thereof. Each chapter is written by an exemplary scholar, and each of them is thoroughly sourced and quite readable. This one gives a general overview of theory, labour, production, and distribution as they relate to the Roman economy specifically. The Cambridge Companions are also reasonably accessible, with prices being somewhere around $30-40, if you’d prefer to buy them, and are generally available in research libraries.