This book explores urbanism in antiquity from an archaeological perspective, focusing on the region of western Thessaly in central Greece. Presenting all available evidence of ancient urban sites in the area, the study outlines and discusses the roots, development, and decline of urbanism in the region.

Archaeological evidence shows that urban sites in western Thessaly developed from the mid-4th century BC, with at least 25 identified contemporary cities scattered across the region. These cities appear to have been initially designed and organized with regular street networks, fortification systems, and water projects, but were generally short-lived, typically existing for only five to six generations. Most of the sites were completely or almost completely abandoned as settlements by the early 2nd century BC, often with evidence of violent destruction, and only a few survived as smaller regional centers under Roman administration. Restorations of the former urban sites and particularly their fortifications occur towards the end of antiquity, specifically in the first half of the 6th century AD, but the re-occupation again seems to have been short-lived, as only three cities survived until the Middle Ages.

From a regional perspective, the study suggests that the rise and fall of urbanism did not necessarily cause complete socio-political disruption, but instead reflected changes in regional and supranational political organization. Globally, the study exemplifies the political nature of the pre-industrial city, its synthetic role in agrarian societies, and the cyclical nature of urbanization in history.

The book contains an extensive catalog, presenting each site with photographs, topographical sketches, and a complete bibliography. Pages: 192, Dimensions: 21.6x21.6cm.