The ‘Many Faces’ of the Roman Economy: Modern Preconceptions and Some Considerations on Capital, Technology, and Labour

Annalisa Marzano ()
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Annalisa Marzano: University of Bologna

A chapter in Ancient Economies in Comparative Perspective, 2022, pp 187-203 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The chapter discusses how some preconceived ideas stemming from later historical phenomena have informed the modern interpretation of Roman society and the nature of its economy. Many of the resulting historical narratives and theoretical models, which had previously encountered general consensus, have been questioned in recent years, leading to new approaches and interpretations. While capital investment in the amelioration of production or the practical application of technological innovations has in the past been seen as having had a minimal role in the Roman world due to the widespread reliance on slave labour, a growing body of archaeological data is drastically changing this picture. This chapter discusses selected cases pertaining to capital investment in processing facilities, the adoption of technology, and the organization of labour. It also touches on the different ways in which the various ‘economic actors’ used the existing legal and socio-political frameworks to exercise control over precious natural resources.

Keywords: Roman economy; Ancient economic history; Innovations; Slave labour; Institutional economic history (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:frochp:978-3-031-08763-9_10

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08763-9_10

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