This volume investigates the economic roles, social status, and material conditions of urban craftsmen and traders within the Roman Empire. Edited by Andrew Wilson, the collection synthesizes contributions from sixteen prominent historians and archaeologists to challenge traditional top-down economic models. By focusing on the granular details of production and exchange, the authors argue that these non-elite actors were central to the functionality and sustainability of Roman urban centers.

Experts recognize this collection as a significant contribution to the study of Roman economic history, particularly for its integration of archaeological data with historical analysis. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, making it a resource primarily intended for scholars and advanced students of the ancient world.