Copyright © by Den danske historiske Forening. SUMMARY: PETER FIBIGER BANG Aristocracy, Trade and Status
(97:1, 28)
The relationship between the higher strata of Roman society and the trade sector from the 2nd century BC to the beginning of the 3rd century AD With the debate on MI Finley's status-model presented in The Ancient
Economy as point of departure the role of Roman trade within the model
is reconsidered. The article argues that the involvement of the aristocracy
in trade can be explained within the frame of the model. Accordingly, it
is not necessary, like John d'Arms, to describe involvement in trade as
a circumvention, and thereby attempt to uphold the modernistic interpretation
of the ancient economy. The key to the phenomenon lies in clientela. The
higher echelons of Roman society seem to be able to involve themselves
in trade through clients and other dependents. The consequence is that
goals other than purely economic ones acquire an important position, prominent
among these is status. On the other hand the system cannot be described
as an aristocracy controlling trade through intermediaries, like Harry
Pleket has argued. Rather, within the clientela model the relationship
between patron and intermediaries is of a quite flexible nature, the content
of which seems to change between consecutive business transactions, thus
fluctuating in a spectrum between dependence and independence. The article
advances the view that the relationship should be understood as an economic
and social penetration of the commercial sector. The main lines to emerge
from the picture drawn seem to be those of a different economy,
the essence of which may be summarized in the notion of status rationality.
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