Publicans and Sinners

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Publicans and Sinners

• Private Enterprise
• in Republican Rome

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(No Transcript)
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Beneficiaries of Empire

• Senatorial Aristocracy
• Roman Citizens
• Equestrian Order (Publicani)

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Modern Viewpoints

• W.V. Harris
• Little commercial or mercantilist motivation
• Plunder, war-indemnities not unnoticed
• E.S. Gruen
• Roman values of virtue, glory, authority, etc.
• J. Rich
• Fear of enemies
• Greed
• Glory

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Contrasting Viewpoints

• Badian and Crawford on Roman Imperial Motivations

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The whole myth of economic motives in Romes
foreign policy at this time second century BC
is a figment of modern anachronism, based on
ancient anachronism, like so many modern myths
about the ancient world. Though exposed by Tenney
Frank long ago, it is still from time to time
fashionably reaffirmed but it should be allowed
to die.E. Badian, Publicans and Sinners (pg.
20)
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Roman Financial Exploitation of Conquered
PeoplesIn her dealings with foreign powers Rome
had for some time taken the convenient view that
since wars were always the fault of the other
party, the other party should re-imburse Rome for
the outlay she had been forced to undertake. Thus
indemnities were imposed on Hiero of Syracuse,
Carthage after the First Punic War, Illyria after
both wars, Carthage after the Second Punic War,
Macedonia, Boeotia and Sparta after the Second
Macedonian War, Syria and her Aetolian ally after
the First Syrian War.Michael Crawford, Rome
and the Greek World Economic Relationships,
Economic History Review 30 (1977) 43
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Monetization and Empire The Case of the Greek
EastThe use of city revenues to pay tribute to
the Romans was, it can be argued, responsible for
the end of the cities as independent fiscal
units, a state of affairs which brought with it
the end of the silver coinages of the
cities.Michael Crawford, Rome and the Greek
World Economic Relationships, Economic History
Review 30 (1977) 43
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The Roman Silver Denarius Introduced late 3rd
century BC
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As he ended his speech ca. 150 BC it is said
that Cato shook out the folds of his toga and
contrived to drop some figs on the floor of the
Senate house, and when the senators admired their
size and beauty he remarked that the country
which produced them Carthage was only
three-days sail away.Plutarch, Life of Cato
the Elder, 27.1-2
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In his triumph 187 BC Gnaeus Manlius carried
212 golden crowns, 220,000 pounds of silver,
2,103 pounds of gold, 127,000 Attic 4-drachma
pieces, 250,000 cistophoroi, 16,320 gold
Philippic coinsLivy, History of Rome, 39.7
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M. Licinius CrassusCertainly the Romans say
that in the case of Crassus many virtues were
obscured by one vice, since it was such a
predominant one that other evil propensities
which he may have had were scarcely noticeable.
How avaricious he was can best be proved by
considering the vastness of his fortune and the
ways in which he acquired it.When he made up
his accounts before setting out on the expedition
to Parthia, he found that he was worth 7,100
talentshe amassed most of this property by means
of fire and war public calamities were his
principal source of revenue.Plutarch, Crassus 2
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SummaryEconomic Benefits to Senatorial Order

• Senatorial Class
• War Booty (Triumphal displays)
• Extortion of bullion and coined money from
  conquered
• Precious art objects
• Slaves

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The Problem of the Senate and Financial
Motivations for Empire

• Senatorial aristocracy respectable wealth
  landed wealth (cf. Kautsky)
• The lex Claudia of 218 BC (Livy 21.63)
• The closing of the silver mines in Macedonia in
  167 BC (Livy 45.18)
• Tribute-free Italy after 167 BC (Pliny, Natural
  History, 33.56)
• Roman aristocratic conceptions of gloria and
  virtus

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Gaius Flaminius was also hated by the senators
on account of an unprecedented law which Quintus
Claudius the tribune of the plebs had introduced
218 BC, despite the opposition of the Senate,
with the backing of Gaius Flaminius alone of all
that body, providing that no senator or senators
son should own a sea-going ship of more than 300
amphoras burdenthis was reckoned to be
sufficient to transport the crops from ones
fields, and all money making was held to be
unseemly in a senator.Livy, History of Rome,
21.63
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Roman Citizens and Empire

• Economic Benefits

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Triumph of Cn. Manlius Vulso 187 BCTo the
soldiers he gave 42 denarii each, twice that
amount to each centurion and three times the
amount to each cavalryman, and he gave them also
double pay.But the friends of Manlius were able
to curry favor with the people as well at their
instance a decree of the Senate was passed that,
with regard to the tax which had been paid by the
people into the treasury, whatever portion of
this was in arrears should be paid out of the
money which had been carried in the
triumph.Livy, History of Rome, 39.7
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But when Lucullus merely wasted and ravaged the
country in his campaign in Bithynia and Galatia
in 73 BC with cavalry incursionshis soldiers
found fault with him because he brought all the
cities over to him by peaceable measures he had
not taken a single one by storm, they said, nor
given them a chance to enrich themselves by
plunder.Plutarch, Life of Lucullus, 14.2-3
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Summary Economic Benefits to Roman Citizens

• Rank-and-file Soldiers
• Donatives
• Plunder
• Land Grants
• Tributum-free after 167 BC

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Economic Motivations

• The Equestrian Class and Empire

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For a long time previously before ca. 230 BC
the Illyrians had been in the habit of
maltreating vessels sailing from Italy, and now
while they were in Phoenice, a number of them
detached themselves from the fleet and robbed or
killed many Italian traders, capturing and
carrying off no small number of prisoners. The
Romans had up to now turned a deaf ear to the
complaints made against the Illyrians, but now
when a number of people approached the Senate on
the subject, they appointed two envoysto proceed
to Illyria and investigate the matter.Polybius,
History, 2.8
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Shipwrecks in the Western Mediterraneanfrom
Cornell and Matthews, Atlas of the Roman World
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Roman Pottery Finds in the 3rd Century BCfrom
Cornell and Matthews, Atlas of the Roman World
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The Senate passed a decree 187 BC that the
Ambraciots should recover all their property
that they should be free and enjoy their own
laws that they should collect port duties at
their pleasure, by land and sea, provided that
the Romans and the allies of the Latin
confederacy should be exempt from paying
them.Livy, History of Rome, 38.44.4-5
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Publicani and Politics

• Special-Interest Lobbying?

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Words cannot express, gentlemen, how bitterly we
are hated among foreign nations owing to the
wanton and outrageous conduct of the men whom
lately we have sent to govern them. For in those
countries what temple do you suppose has been
held sacred by our officers, what state
inviolable, what home sufficiently guarded by its
closed doors? Why, they look about for rich and
flourishing cities that they may find an occasion
of war against them to satisfy their lust for
plunder.Cicero, On the Manilian Law, 22.65-66
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Publicani

• Senate lets out contracts for public contracts,
  including tax collection in provinces
• Equestrian order as army supplier
• Conflicts between governing (senatorial
  governors) and commercial (equestrian) interests
• The Province of Asia
• The Extortion Court (149 BC)