Roman Economic Policy In The Erythra Thalassa 30 B.c. - A.d. 217.

Archaeological evidence (numismatic, papyrological, epigraphic, architectural)--much never before considered--integrated with literary testimony sheds light on Roman economic policy in the Erythraean Sea. Most wares imported by the empire from the region of the Erythraean Sea (Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf) were considered necessities whose sale price in the city of Rome was subject to governmental control. The empire paid for most of its growing imports in kind rather than in coin; there is no evidence that the Romans understood the concept of a balance-of-payments. The Roman government constructed, enlarged or repaired ports, roads, water points, warehouses and canals in Egypt, Judaea, Provincia Arabia, Syria, Greece and Italy which facilitated the importation of Erythraean Sea wares. The Roman government directly and indirectly profited from the Erythraean Sea commerce by regulating, organizing and taxing it. Because of the difficulties involved in gathering the tetartes (25% tax) levied on Erythraean Sea goods entering Roman territory, the Roman government farmed its collection to private individuals. That an imperial freedom collected tolls at Palmyra suggests, however, that the Roman government stepped in directly to make money from the Erythraean Sea trade at the municipal level. On the other hand, with the exception of the campaign of Aelius Gallus to Arabia Felix, economic considerations did not motivate Rome to annex regions in the Erythraean Sea in the period Augustus to Caracalla. The waxing and waning of the Erythraean Sea trade did not alter the basic economic structures of Egypt, Syria or Judaea. Nabataea adopted a settled agricultural way of life to replace the reduced commerce only when the trade routes shifted. Augustus' successors continued his policies in the Erythraean Sea for commerce there generated revenues for the Roman government and created permanent, reliable sources of supply of the empire's necessities. The Roman government stimulated economic interaction and cooperation among various regions of the empire by massive building projects to achieve political stability and unity. Yet the economic realities of the day and, more importantly, the political requirements of the government impeded the success of this endeavor.PhDAncient historySocial SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/127599/2/8204758.pd