Κατεύθυνση Ιστορία της Ελληνικής και Ρωμαϊκής Αρχαιότητας
Library of the School of Philosophy

2020-02-18

2020

Pounentis Stavros

Γιαννακόπουλος Νικόλαος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Αρχαίας Ιστορίας, Τμήμα Ιστορίας-Αρχαιολογίας, Φιλοσοφική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ψωμά Σελήνη, Καθηγήτρια Αρχαίας Ιστορίας, Τμήμα Ιστορίας-Αρχαιολογίας, Φιλοσοφική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ανεζίρη Σοφία, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Αρχαίας Ιστορίας, Τμήμα Ιστορίας-Αρχαιολογίας, Φιλοσοφική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ

Η ισχύς του χρήματος σε περιόδους κρίσης: Οι Ρωμαίοι ως δανειστές του ελληνικού κόσμου κατά τον 1° αιώνα π.Χ.

Greek

The power of money in crisis periods: The Romans as lenders of the Greek world in the 1st century BC

Public lending constitutes an integral part of the history of economic life. In cases where a state is unable to meet its financial obligations from the revenue it receives, it is forced to resort to public lending. The Greek cities in antiquity are no exception to this rule. Especially in the late Republic, the various problems of the Roman state led to those conditions of financial crisis which increased the need of Greek cities and kingdoms for loans. The inadequacy or even the reluctance of the local elites to adopt the role of lender, mainly because of the high risk, leads the cities to resort to the Romans who where the most powerful group in that period.
The subject of this essay is the examination of loans which where contracted between Greek states and Romans in the 1st century BC. In the ‘Introduction’ previous bibliography is presented and at the same time critical aspects of this issue that were not taken into consideration are illuminated. Afterwards, some characteristic examples of public lending until the first century are examined, in order to highlight the familiarisation of Greeks cities and Roman political leaders with the practices of public lending. Finally, the factors which caused the financial crisis of the first century both in Italian peninsula and in Greek east are explored.
The subchapters of this essay examine some of the most well –known loans such as those of the negotiatores Numerius and Marcus Cloatius to Gytheion, of the argentarius Aufidius Bassus to Tenos, of the eques Rabirius Postumus to the king of Egypt Ptolemy XII Auletes and of the powerful senator Iunius Brutus to the Cypriot city of Salamis. Every loan is examined from three different aspects. Firstly, the social standing of the lenders and how this affects their motivations is analysed. Secondly, emphasis is given to the standpoint of the borrowed cities. More precisely the conditions inside the cities are examined to the extent that are responsible for the need of borrowing and the attitude toward the lender. Finally, the examination of the utility of loans as political instruments for the Roman leaders is focused, in order to point out the importance of public lending in the political competition of Roman aristocracy.
In conclusion, public lending is a great example of the power of money to establish and maintain relationships between different political and social groups at both the Greek cities and imperium. Therefore, public lending must be seen not as an exclusive financial activity since it encloses many basic institutions of the Greco-Roman world such as euergetism, patronage and provincial administration. In some cases actually, the payback or not of a loan may be the cause for redirection or even subversion of formal politics. Those crucial functions establish the examination of public lending as an appropriate condition for the understanding of Roman state’s physiognomy.

History

Public lending, debt, recession, Roman state, Greek cities, late Hellenistic period

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https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/2897609