Against this background, a diachronic comparison of urbanistic developments of rivalling cities, such as Pergamon and Ephesos or Perge and Side, will shed light on the reciprocal relationship between architecture and competition. Based on the chronology and the variable design parameters of public edifices urban building cultures can be ascertained, which could exhibit differences as well as similarities among competing poleis. Thus, this study will achieve new insights into urbanistic dynamics in Roman Asia Minor and systematically examine, for the first time on a broad material basis, the impact of interurban competition on ancient cityscapes.
