Quote Originally Posted by Folgore View Post
As I understand it, Alexandria grew to be larger than Carthage in little over one generation and to the largest city in the world in just over a century. As for Rome though, you are probably right.
Wikipedia agrees with you, but I find it hard to credit. Cities like Carthage and Imperial Rome had to import massive amounts of grain and wine (because the water wasn't safe). The infrastructure required for that alone is staggering and given pre-modern logistics would take years to establish. If Alexandria grew to Carthage's size within twenty years, most of it would have been shanty towns.