Roman Economy
By Andy Diep
Roman trade was the engine that drove the Roman economy of the late Republic and the early Empire. Whereas in theory members of the Roman Senate and their families were prohibited from engaging in trade, the members of the Equestrian order were involved in businesses, despite their upper class values that laid the emphasis on military pursuits and leisure activities. Their high proportion in society (compared to that in Classical Greece), and the reality of runaways, the Roman Servile Wars and minor uprisings, they gave a distinct flavor to Roman commerce. The intricate, complex, and extensive accounting of Roman trade was conducted with counting boards and the Roman abacus. The abacus, using Roman numerals, was ideally suited to the counting of Roman currency and tallying of Roman measures. Before and after the Roman Empire, hilltop defensive positions were preferred for small settlements and piracy made coastal settlement particularly hazardous for all but the largest cities. Roman Currency include aureus (gold), the denarius (silver), the sestertius (brass), the dupondius (brass), and the as (copper).
PICTOWORD BY ANDY DIEP:
PICTOWORD BY ANDY DIEP:
Bibliography:
http://www.crystalinks.com/romeconomy.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/romeconomy.html