Egypt was always regarded in antiquity as the major producer of
grain for the Roman Empire. It was at the time of Emperor Justinian
that such enormous grain trade between Alexandria and
Constantinople was carefully recognized.
According to Procopius, among the major achievements of this
emperor was the fortification of the district known to the
Alexandrians as "Phialê", where the major corn stores and granaries
– in connexion with the service of barges from the Nile – were
often liable to attack and plunder. It was from that place that the
major grain traffic flowed through Alexandria to all parts of the
Mediterranean.
The aim of this research is to focus on the Phialê in terms of the
written sources and the material evidences, as well as tracing the
grain trade route by land and by waterways, hence shedding new
light on some economic implications in ancient Egypt