Published: 2025-06-30

ross Rome dryfoot: the ediles guarantee the city’s cleanliness

Renata Kamińska
Zeszyty Prawnicze
Section: Artykuły
https://doi.org/10.21697/zp.2025.25.2.01

Abstract

In ancient times Rome was an extremely popular (and therefore populous) city. It offered its inhabitants good opportunities especially for employment, social advancement, a relatively high standard of living and access to culture. It was a magnet attracting large numbers of newcomers eager to settle. As a result, already by the end of the Republic it had become the most populous city in Italy, though in fact other parts of the peninsula also faced the problem of overpopulation. One of the most serious consequences of congestion was the gigantic pollution of the City. Troughout the Republic and under the Principate, the responsibility for keeping Rome clean rested with the curial and plebeian ediles. This article discusses the scope of their duties and tries to answer the question whether they were to blame for Rome’s poor sanitary conditions.

Keywords:

pollution, city, streets, cura viarum, ediles

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Citation rules

Kamińska, R. (2025). ross Rome dryfoot: the ediles guarantee the city’s cleanliness. Zeszyty Prawnicze, 25(2), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.21697/zp.2025.25.2.01

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