1. Introduction: a middle in the making Seth Bernard, Lisa Mignone and Dan-el Padilla Peralta; 2. Italian descent in middle Republican Roman magistrates: the flipside of the conquest Parrish Wright and Nicola Terrenato; 3. The long shadow of tributum in the long fourth century James Tan; 4. Paying for conquest in the early middle republic Nathan Rosenstein; 5. Building up slaveries in ancient Italy and the central Sudan Walter Scheidel; 6. The strangeness of Rome's early heavy bronze Liv M. Yarrow; 7.

Rural transformation in middle republican central Italy: the archaeological perspective Tymon de Haas; 8. Towards an agroecology of the Roman expansion: republican agriculture and animal husbandry in context Angela Trentacoste and Lisa Lodwick; 9. No longer archaic, not yet Hellenistic: urbanism in transition Domenico Palombi; 10. On architecture's agency in fourth-century Rome Penelope J. E. Davies; 11. Becoming historical in Oscan Campania Seth Bernard; 12. Becoming political: middle republican quandaries Christopher Smith.