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Ports served not only as interfaces between land and sea, but as central gathering spaces for economic and cultural exchange. Drawing on case studies from the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, this paper situates opportunistic ports lacking built facilities within a broader socioeconomic context of diverse maritime communications, expanding rural settlement, and increased agricultural productivity during late antiquity. Though simple, these sites served as active agents in the development of new maritime networks as well as local markets throughout their hinterlands, adding flexibility and dynamism to the economic ties between city, countryside, and the wider late Roman world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history of Portus, the Mediterranean sea port of the Roman Empire. Particular attention is given to Portus's role in regard to the import of bread from Egypt. Article topics include Rome's centralized control of their own primary food supply and the regulation of the food supply in medieval England.