HIST-Discussion-8

.docx

School

Northern Virginia Community College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

102

Subject

Economics

Date

Jan 9, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

2

Uploaded by NOVA-FS

Report
Discussion Forum Unit 8 How did slaves affect the daily Roman economy? Slaves were an important part of the early Roman economy, and they had an impact on both the labor and financial markets. Slaves expanded Rome's human capital and served as a productive workforce. Slaves became a reliable source of investment and helped to revitalize the capital market. Rome assimilated different people and conquered neighboring cities. The majority of those who came from defeated cities became slaves and became important components of the Roman labor market, as did the Roman freedmen (Temin, 2006. p.141). Not only did Rome's labor force explode, but the Roman system also encouraged slaves to work. Slaves who successfully demonstrated their abilities would be freed from their enslavement (Temin, 2006. p.141). Slaves who were motivated worked hard, improved their skills, and accumulated "peculium," which was money that slaves were allowed to have (Temin, 2006. p.141). Because they worked hard, established relationships with their owners, and made business contracts, some ambitious slaves advanced in their careers and lives faster than the impoverished freedmen (Temin, 2006. p.142)."Some former slaves also became quite wealthy," it is stated ("The society and economy of Ancient Rome," n.d.). Human capital and labor productivity have always been important factors in GDP growth, and they are still used as key economic indicators today. Early Roman economic growth is indicated by an increase in the number of slaves and increased productivity. Additionally, wealthy slaves imply a higher GDP per capita and a higher standard of living in the early Roman empire. The Roman financial market, like the labor market, was active with various loans. The maritime loan made a significant contribution to the market, and the loan amount was enormous (Temin, 2006. p.135). Purchasing land and becoming landowners, on the other hand, was a more common investment. Those estates came with slaves, and those lands were for houses and farms. For wealthy Romans, slaves were also an attractive investment medium ("The society and economy of Ancient Rome," n.d.). Slaves with special skills were given special jobs and shared their earnings with their master ("The society and economy of Ancient Rome," n.d.). References: Temin, P. (2006). The economy of the early Roman Empire. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20 (1), 133-151. Retrieved from https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdf/10.1257/089533006776526148
The society and economy of Ancient Rome. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.timemaps.com/encyclopedia/ancient-rome-society-republic-empire/
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help