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THE ROMAN EMPIRE Economical Globalization

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THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Globalization and Its Discontents

Daniel Bora - Andrea Bonelli
BRIEF INFO

Officially Born on 27 B.C with

Augustus
Extension: 6.500.000 kmq
Population: around 70 million
80.000 kms of paved roads
HISTORY OF ROMAN GLOBALIZATION
The economical globalization of the
Roman Empire lies on 2 main events:
312 B.C:Appius Claudius Caecus built
the first paved road from Rome to
Capua.
146 B.C: the fall of the Carthaginian
empire left Rome as the only super-
power on all the Mediterranean Sea.
But from this point onwards [after the
Second Punic war] history becomes an
organic whole: the affairs of Italy and
Africa are connected with those of Asia
and of Greece, and all events bear a
relationship and contribute to a single
end.
Polybius (histories 1.3)

From this point, not only a "political globalization" but also the beginning of the
building of an economic system interlinked by land and sea.
THE ROAD SYSTEM
THE TRADE NETWORK
A GLOBALIZED INTERNAL MARKET
The Romans created for the first time in history a
stable, uniformed "globalized system":
Latin as lingua Franca
Bank system and corporate law for companies
Only one currency: Denarius (silver) and Aureus
(gold)
Standard weight and measures: The Amphora
State Control of duties for foreign imported goods
"Romanisation" process led to a high demand of
imperial goods creating forms of "mass
consumption"
standardised red-gloss terra sigillata pottery in the
Roman provinces for example.
MAIN PARTNER: THE LEGIONS
The role of the Roman legions was not only
focused on war: the Roman military strategy had
infrastructure pillars such as the building of
paved roads, bridges and the creation of fortified
positions (the castrum). These fortified positions
eventually became colonies, trading posts by
giving not only stability to the region but also
high demand of goods.
DOMESTIC WINNER: PERIPHERAL PROVINCES
The peripheral provinces once poorest,
gained slowly production advantages over
the Italian peninsula, fully dependent on the
imports. The end of expansion period also
gave an economic boom to eastern half of
the empire and the new capital
of Constantinople, more resources, money,
goods and infrastructure were now devoted
to providing for the increased cost of
military security.
DOMESTIC LOSER: CORE PROVINCE
Thanks to the new market opening and the tax
revenues, initially the Italian province received the
highest benefits from this process.
During the years, the empire reduced the influence
on the market and by so letting the Italian peninsula
to be fully dependent from the peripheral provinces
goods in comparison more competitive.

This can be seen in the diffusion of wine and oil

farming into regions which had previously imported
Italian products, and also in the shift from imported
"terra sigillata" in Gaul to local imitations.
"FUTURE" PROSPECTS
Higher costs for security with the end of
the expansion era.
Lack of Gold and Silver (base of currency)
can force the Empire to attempt
prohibition of imports.
Rome will be no more the Center of the
empire, the peripheral provinces are
going to ask more autonomy
The fall of the Roman Empire destroyed this
interlinked world. Even if some trade lines
were still active or in the subsequent years
reactivated (silk road trade for example), It
required centuries for seeing again a
flourishing trade system in Europe.
Latin as lingua franca disappeared, becoming
the language of the church and the noble
class.
A "common" currency system was re-
established only by Charlemagne on 795.
COMMON ELEMENTS WITH TODAY
Augustine: “we owe our peace to the sworn oaths of the
In the Roman empire as in the modern world. we can
barbarians". see the far-reaching consequences of increased
interaction between and integration of different
regions and cultural traditions, conditioned by the
uneven distribution of different sorts of power.
At the same time, the centre polemicises with the
periphery. Tacitus and other Roman historians
blamed the decline of Rome on its absorption of
foreign, alien elements.
the costs of being outside the network, of being
unable to communicate or participate in normal
exchange or social life, was far too high to leave any
other choice.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pitts, M., & Versluys, M. (2014). Globalisation and the Roman World. Cambridge University Press
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of Economic History, 67(4), 1036-1061.
A.Angela(2010).Impero.Viaggio nell'Impero di Roma seguendo una moneta. Mondadori
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Empire. New Global Studies, 1034.