Prospettive mediterranee dell’economia romana. L’apporto di una banca dati

David Nonnis

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2007, 18, 383-403

Abstract

As part of the FIRB 2001 Project, a computer research project on Roman merchants who worked in the Mediterranean area from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD was commenced. Data about the single businessmen were gathered from inscriptions (first of all instrumentum domesticum) and literary sources (both Greek and Latin); data were processed in a relational database, which is briefly described here. This paper, by way of an example, considers merchants who lived during the Republic (over 250 people) and focuses on the economic and social aspects of their activity. Painted inscriptions (tituli picti) or graffiti on Roman amphorae, stamps on amphorae stoppers and marks on anchor stocks inform us of the names of many traders (most of all ingenui or freedmen) involved in the transport and sale of goods such as wine and olive oil. Other inscriptions (mainly epitaphs or religious dedications) refer to a lot of tabernarii who worked in Rome, in other towns of Roman Italy or the Provinces during the late 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Some data from literary sources are also available, mainly concerning important businessmen who operated in the whole Mediterranean basin.

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