2. All These Cities Were Connected With One Another And With Rome Itself By
Means Of The Public Highways:
These issuing from the forum, traversed
Italy, pervaded the provinces, and were terminated only by the frontiers of
the empire.
The great chain of communication formed by means of them from
the extreme north-west limit of the empire, through Rome to the south-east
limit, was in length nearly 4000 miles. These roads were formed in the most
substantial manner, and with astonishing labour and expence; they were
raised so as to command a prospect of the adjacent country; on each side
was a row of large stones for foot passengers. The miles were reckoned from
the gates of the city and marked on stones: at shorter distances there were
stones for travellers to rest on, or to assist those who wished to mount
their horses: there were cross roads from the principal roads. The care and
management of all the roads were entrusted only to men of the highest rank.
Augustus himself took charge of those near Rome, and appointed two men of
praetorian rank to pave the roads: at the distance of five or six miles
houses were built, each of which was constantly provided with forty horses;
but these could only be used in the public service, except by particular
and express authority. By means of the relays thus furnished, the Romans
could travel along their excellent roads 100 miles a day: they had no
public posts. Augustus first introduced public couriers among the Romans;
but they were employed only to forward the public despatches, or to convey
public intelligence of great and urgent importance.
Such was the facililty of communication by land from all parts of the
empire to Rome, and from each part to all the other parts: nor was the
communication of the empire less free and open by sea than it was by land.
"The provinces surrounded and enclosed the Mediterranean; and Italy, in the
shape of an immense promontory, advanced into the midst of that great
lake." From Ostia, situated at the mouth of the Tiber, only sixteen miles
from the capital, a favourable wind frequently carried vessels in seven
days to the straits of Gibraltar, and in nine or ten to Alexandria, in
Egypt.
3. In enumerating the principal articles imported into Rome, for the use of
its immense and luxurious population, we shall, necessarily, recapitulate,
in some degree, what has already been stated in giving an account of the
commerce of the different countries which were conquered by the Romans. But
this objection, we conceive, will be abundantly counterbalanced by the
connected and complete view which we shall thus be enabled to give of the
commerce of the Roman empire.
Before, however, we enter on this subject, we shall briefly consider the
ideas entertained by the Romans on the subject of commerce. We have already
had occasion incidentally to remark that the Romans thought meanly of it,
and that their grand object in all their conquests was the extension of
their territory; and that they even neglected the commercial facilities and
advantages, which they might have secured by their conquests. This was most
decidedly the case during the time of the republic. The statue of Victory,
which was erected in the port of Ostia, and the medals of the year of Rome
630, marked on the reverse with two ships and a victory, prove that at this
period the Roman fleets that sailed from this port were chiefly designed
for war. The prefects of the fleet were not employed, nor did they consider
it as their duty to attend to commerce, or to the merchant ships, except so
far as to protect them against the pirates. Of the low opinion entertained
by the Romans respecting commerce we have the direct testimony of Cicero:
writing to his son on the subject of professions, he reprobates and
condemns all retail trade as mean and sordid, which can be carried on
successfully only by means of lying. Even the merchant, unless he deals
very extensively, he views with contempt; if, however, he imports from
every quarter articles of great value and in great abundance, and sells
them in a fair and equitable manner, his profession is not much to be
contemned; especially if, after having made a fortune, he retires from
business, and spends the rest of his life in agricultural pursuits: in this
case, he deserves even positive praise. There is another passage of Cicero,
quoted by Dr. Vincent, in his Periplus, in which the same sentiments are
expressed: he says, "Is such a man, who was a merchant and neighbour of
Scipio, greater than Scipio because he is richer?" Pliny, also, though in
his natural history he expatiates in praise of agriculture and gardening,
medicine, painting and statuary, passes over merchandize with the simple
observation that it was invented by the Phoenicians. In the periplus of the
Erythrean sea, and in the works of Ptolemy, &c. the names of many merchants
and navigators occur; but they are all Greeks. Even after the conquest of
Egypt, which gave a more commercial character to the Roman manners, habits
and mode of thinking than they previously possessed, no Roman was permitted
to engage in the trade of that country.
Although, however, mercantile pursuits were thus underrated and despised by
the warlike portion of the nation, as well as by the philosophers, yet they
were followed by those who regarded gain as the principal object of life.
The wealth of merchants became proverbial: immense numbers of them followed
the armies, and fixed in the provinces subdued or allied, - the _Italici
generis homines_, who were agents, traders, and monopolizers, such as
Jugurtha took in Zama, or the 100,000 Mithridates slaughtered in Asia
Minor, or the merchants killed at Genabum (Orleans).
In the passage quoted from Cicero de Officiis, he expressly mentions the
merchant who _imports_; but he does not once allude to exportation.
Indeed, the commerce of the Romans, in the most luxurious period of the
empire, was entirely confined to importation, and may, with few exceptions,
be designated as consisting in the expenditure of the immense revenue they
derived from their conquests, and the immense fortunes of individuals, in
the necessaries, comforts, and, above all, the luxuries of the countries
which they had conquered.
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