Responsive Governance and Population Wellbeing in the Later Roman Empire (Ghent University, Stellenbosch University and uwc): A Project Report

This contribution reports on the project “Responsive Government and Population Wellbeing in the Later Roman Empire (3rd–5th Century ad )”, funded by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek and the National Research Foundation, a partnership between Ghent University and the South African universities of Stellenbosch and the Western Cape. By adapting modern wellbeing indices to ancient sources, the project investigates how the late Roman state addressed the physical, social and economic needs of its population through a responsive political system driven by pressure from below. Drawing on findings from the 2025 Stellenbosch project conference, the report comments on the difficulty of disentangling political self-interest from genuine care for population welfare and highlights the historical role of local non-state actors. Finally, it briefly reflects on the contemporary relevance of these patterns by juxtaposing ancient governance practices with present-day challenges to population wellbeing in South Africa and Belgium.