The first volume in a new series, Oxford Studies on the Roman Economy: a collection of essays, edited by the series editors, focusing on the economic performance of the Roman empire, and suggesting how we can derive a quantified account of economic growth and contraction in the period of the empire's greatest extent and prosperity. this volume does truely offer a reasonably varied, balanced and up-to-date overview of the methods and problems in quantifying the Roman economy, thus effectively contributing to a central debate in Roman studies. Being the first of a series, it certainly places a heavy burden of high expectations on forthcoming volumes.