tomar

I am having difficulty finding population figures for Italy, Greece, Egypt Gaul, Tunisia, and Mesopotomia for the years
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
100
(or any years in between)

My own estimates based on arable land and agricultural output is that Ancient Greece probably peaked at around 4 million, Egypt 5 or 6 million while Italy could have had as much as 20 mio.
Tunisia (those areas under Carthage) probably peaked at around 1.5 mio which explains why the Carthaginians were relying on mercenaries and why they were eventually crushed by the Romans

I would appreciate any thoughts or figures you might have on this topic

Sargon of Akkad

What do you base your estimates on?

sylla1

I would begin by checking out on the relevant papers and reviews from Prof. Walter Scheidel and his team (Stanford University).

The statement on Carthaginian "mercenaries" should be taken with a grain of salt; most of this stuff comes from the chauvinistic (pro-Roman) narrative of Polybios. It's clear that most of such soldiers (e.g. the Numidians) were in all likelihood not mercenaries under the strict definition of this term.

RollingWave

Hopefully your not basing your estimates on modern day figures, for example Tunisia was significantly more fertile in antiquity than today. (it went through a pretty dramatic desertification process around the 10-12th century )

beorna

Die Bevölkerung der griechisch ... - Google Bücher

okamido

Why this sudden change on Polybius? If I recall correctly, you once created a specific thread in order to discuss favorite passages/ quotes from his histories. Lately however, you have been against him in anything that may seem, at least to you, as having a pro-Roman bent.

Lord_of_Gauda

It seems highly doubtful that Greece in ancient times could compare to Egypt in population: Greece does not have comparable arable land to Egypt- its entire collection of arable land cannot exceed the size of the nile delta, which was entirely cultivated in the ancient era.

Further, the arable land of Egypt is more or less a vast delta and a the riverine lands around it: while in Greece, it is highly fragmented. As such, land usage in Egypt was probably more efficient, which is why they were able to not only feed themselves but export massive amounts of grain to Rome through the late classical/antiquity period.

Psellos

of course...!!! it couldn't be compared to nothing... i really doubt if Greece even existed in your mind...

Having arable lands isn't the main criterion. I think you know that human beings "invented" trade and autarchy isn't a must in civilized areas.
Urbanism in Egypt prior to the Greek colonization there hadn't reached the level of the Greek poleis and their apoikies, with Alexandria a great example of it with tens of thousands Greek colonizers(and also many Jews too).
And it is developed urbanism and developed cities that explodes the population growth and the maps below representing 6th century AD Hierocles' Synecdemos :


I'm sorry i cannot find any similar map in english, but you can get the point from these.

PS. I'm not saying that Greece had bigger population from Egypt, for gods shake...!

PS.2. Dominic Rathbone agree with Diodoros Sikeliotis'(end of 1st century BC) estimation of Egypt's population which was about 3 million people and gives a maximum limit the 5 millions. (The demography of Roman Egypt, R.Bagnall & B.Frier, pag.54).

beorna

From Beloch, I have following information for the free population:

for the end of the 5th century

Argolis 160.000
Arkadia 150.000
Achaia 75.000
Eleia 90.000
Lakonia and Messenia 55.000

Clinton, Fasti hellinici has,

Lakonia and messenia 98.000
Arkadia 107.000
Achaia 41.000
Argolis 186.000
Eleia 92.000

Beloch has for 400 BC between 800-90.000 people, in 200 BC a total number of 950.000 people for the peloponnes

For Attika in 430 beloch has 120-140 freepeople and around 250.000 inhabitants in total, but for the IVth century just 130.000-200.000. That gives an density of 60 inhabitants in 500, 90 in 431 and 80 in 300 BC. Athens and Piraeus had in 432 around 100-115.000 inhabitans

Athens at the times of perikles 100-150.000 inhabitants, Korinth 80-100.000.
For Crete in the 5th century 200.000 inhabitants
Boetia in the 4th century 150-200.000 inhabitants.
Euboia 60-70.000 in the 5th/4th century, for the kykladics 130.000 at the end of the 5th century. Arkania 30.000 in the 4th century, Aetolia 35.000, Korkyra 70.000.For Epirus beloch has 300.000 inhabitants for the first quarter of the 2nd century. For Thessalia 400.000 in the 4th century. For Makedonia 400.000 in the end of the 4th century.

For Little Asia he has 11,5 to 13,5 millions for the early 2nd century, Egypt around 7 millions.

Sicily in the late 5th century 850.000, in the 4th perhaps even 1 million, later around 600.000, Magna Graecia around 100.000 in the 4th and 3rd century.
For Italy he has 5-7,5 millions in the 1st century AD, at the times of hannibal around 4 million inhabitants.

Spin at the times of Augustus 6 millions, for gaul 3,5 millions and for gallia narbonnensis 1,5 millions.

For Raetia, Noricum, Pannonia, Dalmatia, Moesia 2 millions at the times of Augustus.

For the karthagian Africa at 200 beloch has 3-4 millions.

sylla1

There's no change at all.

My statements on Polybios have been complementary, not contradictory.

Being an excellent historian (quite likely the best available Classical Historian) is quite far from being unbiased; au contraire.