Integration and Disintegration in the Late Roman Economy: The Role Of Markets, Emperors, and Aristocrats

Investment in capital, both physical and financial, and innovation in its uses are often considered the linchpins of modern economic growth, while credit and credit markets now seem to determine the wealth—as well as the fate—of nations. This book asks whether it always thus, and whether the Roman economy—large, complex, and sophisticated as it was— looked anything like today’s economies in terms of its structural properties. Through consideration of the allocation and uses of capital and credit and the role of innovation in the Roman world, the contributors to this volume go to the heart of the matter. How was capital in its various forms generated, allocated, and employed in the Roman economy? Did the Romans have markets for capital goods and credit? Did investment in capital lead to innovation and productivity growth? The authors consider multiple aspects of capital use in agriculture, water management, trade, and urban production, and of credit provision, finance, and human capital in different periods of Roman history, in Italy and elsewhere in the Roman world. Using many different types of written and archaeological evidence, and employing a range of modern theoretical perspectives and methodologies, the contributors, an international team of historians and archaeologists, have produced the first book-length contribution to focus exclusively on (physical and financial) capital in the Roman world, a volume that is aimed at experts in the field as well as at economic historians and archaeologists specializing in other periods and places.

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The reform of Byzantine military and territorial organization under Justinian II

Zbornik radova Vizantoloskog instituta ◽

10.2298/zrvi1653017c ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 17-46

Author(s):

Milos Cvetkovic

Keyword(s):

Administrative System ◽

Thematic Units ◽

Territorial Organization ◽

Long Time ◽

Late Roman

This paper offers a contribution to the research of the initial stages in the evolution of the thematic system. It focuses on the role of Emperor Justinian II in the formation of the new imperial military and territorial organization. Byzantine scholars have determined a long time ago that it is Justinian II who should be credited with the founding of new military districts (themes) in Hellas and Sicily. This paper, however, suggests that the formation of the themes in Thrace and Kibyrrhaiotai could also be considered a part of Justinian?s policy. In addition, the paper aims to highlight Justinian?s role in the formation of the frontier military and administrative system (the kleisourai of Strymon and Cappadocia), as well as in the reform of military and territorial organization in the Aegean basin. By creating new army units which were not based on the Late Roman heritage, Justinian essentially abandoned the principles that the Byzantine army had previously functioned on. Finally, the paper highlights the fact that the establishment of new thematic units under Emperor Justinian II was coupled with his extensive colonization measures.

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Ruling Regions, Exploiting Resources

Imperialism, Power, and Identity ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691160177.003.0005 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

David J. Mattingly

Keyword(s):

Economic Theory ◽

Economic Activity ◽

Regional Economies ◽

Colonial Discourse ◽

Roman Economy ◽

Roman Imperialism ◽

Role Of The State ◽

Imperial Power ◽

Global And Local

In recent years, debate has started to explore the tensions between global and local aspects of the Roman economic world. This chapter argues that the Roman economy is not only best understood as an agglomeration of globalized regional economies but that we can also define a series of major mechanisms at work that governed discrete areas of economic activity. In particular, it focuses on the role of the state as a motor of economic activity through its status as an imperial power. It constructs some simple models built around colonial discourse analysis, rather than complex economic theory. The main purpose of this chapter is not to outline a new general model for the Roman economy but to reignite debate about the economic face of Roman imperialism.

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Introduction

Capital, Investment, and Innovation in the Roman World ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198841845.003.0001 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-36

Author(s):

Paul Erdkamp ◽

Koenraad Verboven ◽

Arjan Zuiderhoek

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Structural Properties ◽

Productivity Growth ◽

Capital Goods ◽

Roman Economy ◽

Roman World ◽

Large Complex ◽

Modern Economic Growth ◽

Modern Economic

Investment in capital, both physical and financial, and innovation in its uses are often considered the linchpin of modern economic growth, while credit and credit markets now seem to determine the wealth—as well as the fate—of nations. Yet was it always thus? The Roman economy was large, complex, and sophisticated, but in terms of its structural properties, did it look anything like the economies we know today? Through consideration of the allocation and uses of capital and credit and the role of innovation in the Roman world, this volume explores how capital in its various forms was generated, allocated, and employed in the Roman economy; whether the Romans had markets for capital goods and credit; and whether investment in capital led to innovation and productivity growth.

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Late Roman Precious-Metal Deposits: Worth their Weight in Gold?

Britannia ◽

10.1017/s0068113x12000426 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 427-430

Author(s):

François Baratte

Keyword(s):

Late Antiquity ◽

Precious Metal ◽

Extended Period ◽

Third Century ◽

The Third ◽

Byzantine Period ◽

The Subject ◽

Title One ◽

Late Roman

Over recent years the question of ancient hoards, in particular of precious metal, coins, plate or jewellery, has been the subject of numerous considerations (notably S. Gelichi and C. La Rocca (eds), Tesori. Forme di accumulazione della richezza nell'alto medioevo (secoli V–XI) (Rome, 2004)) in order to try to grasp the characteristics of a complex phenomenon that relates to multiple aspects of society in whatever period is under consideration: the economy, social organisation, the possible role of the images … The difficulties encountered by researchers when addressing these problems are illustrated by the ambivalence, indeed the ambiguity in many languages of the term ‘trésor/hoard’. Richard Hobbs has thus chosen, very judiciously, to take as his subject here ‘deposits of precious metal’, which defines the topic perfectly. On the other hand, one could question the descriptor ‘late Roman’ when applied to the period covered here, five centuries, from a.d. 200 to 700. There could be discussion over whether the third century should be included in Late Antiquity; others will challenge whether the sixth century still belongs to that same world. But from the first page H. effectively corrects his title by stating that it also covers the early Byzantine period, something I would feel is a better definition. It may certainly be felt that these are just questions of nomenclature, but they do have their importance for the topic of this study. All the same, the important thing is that H. wanted to study an extended period, as stated by the book's sub-title. One cannot but approve of his choice.

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Late Roman social structures and the late Roman economy

The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity AD 395-600 ◽

10.4324/9780203134207-10 ◽

2002 ◽

pp. 99-121

Keyword(s):

Social Structures ◽

Roman Economy ◽

Late Roman

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Coins, money and exchange in the Roman world. A cultural-economic perspective

Archaeological Dialogues ◽

10.1017/s1380203805211625 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 1-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Joris Aarts

Keyword(s):

Ancient Greek ◽

Exchange System ◽

Cultural Economic ◽

Holistic View ◽

Roman Economy ◽

Moral Dimensions ◽

1960S And 1970S ◽

The 1960S ◽

Greek World

Until now, the Roman economy has been discussed primarily in economic terms. After the vehement debate between substantivist and formalists in the 1960s and 1970s, most historians and archaeologists have embraced an essentially substantivist perspective. Although this outlook has proven its value, it also seriously hampers a holistic view on the Roman exchange system by its focus on economic factors. Recent theoretical developments in economic anthropology, particularly through the work of Bloch and Parry, provide a model which is better suited to analysing the exchange system in its social, political and moral dimensions. It has been used succesfully in recent publications of the exchange system in the ancient Greek world. In this article, its possibilities for the Roman exchange system and the role of money in it will be explored.

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