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Explain How The Provinces Affect The Roman Economy

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Discuss how the provinces affected the general Roman economy

The Roman provinces were the basic administrative unit of her territorial possessions outside of Italy. Their number increased steadily with the Roman expansion and subsequent division of existing, large provinces. The first Roman province, Sicily, was conquered after the First Punic War and the Senate decided that it had to be ruled by praetor; and this meant that every subsequent province was to be ruled by civil and not military law (Livius.org, 2017). By the end of the Republic, Rome had 31 provinces spreading from modern day Spain to Asia Minor. For Rome, the provinces served two broad purposes: as a buffer zone between the Capital and the barbarian world, and as a means for procuring funds for the army, via taxation. Finally, the Pax Romana in the provinces boosted the commerce and the exchange of ideas.
Ever since its foundation, Rome has found itself in constant need to protect itself; first from other Italian city-states, then from Carthage, and then from Persia, the Germanic tribes, and the Dacians. During …show more content…

The provinces also provided a wider base of resources and taxation, which were the foundation of her military engine. Finally, the unfettered travelling between the provinces allowed Rome to develop a complex economy based on trade and surplus that extended well beyond her borders. From all these, one can conclude that the provinces were a crucial component to Rome’s long history.
References
Barlett, B. (1994). How Excessive Government Killed Ancient Rome. Cato Journal, 14(2), 287.
Cartwright, M. (2013, 12 17). Trade in the Roman World. Retrieved from Ancient History Encyclopedia: http://www.ancient.eu/article/638/
Duncan-Jones, R. (1994). Money and Government in the Roman empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University

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