The Romans were influenced by Greek ideas but focused more on empire building and power rather than balance. They respected the Greek artistic and intellectual heritage but built a vast empire through strong military and administrative capabilities. While the Romans did not significantly contribute to economic thought, their laws recognized private property and defined key economic concepts like price, money, and loans. Their views on agriculture emphasized small farms and regarded slave labor as inefficient.
2. The Roman Thought:
• Roman did not contribute much to the development of
economic thought.
• Their ideas were borrowed from Greek
• They were empire builders.
• Rome was a city-state with agriculture as the base of its
economy.
• Rome are greatly influenced by the Greeks.
• The war results serious economic dislocation
• The rich become richer and poor become poorer.
3. Differences between Romans and Greeks
• The Romans were particularly interested in power, and much
less interested in balance than the Greeks. There was one big
difference.
• The Romans built up a vast empire: the Greeks didn’t, except
for the brief moment of Alexander’s conquests, which soon
disintegrated.
• The Romans were confident in their own organizational
power, their military and administrative capabilities.
• The Greeks enjoyed an artistic and intellectual inheritance.
But the Romans respected this inheritance.
4. Latin Literature
• The native language of the Romans was Latin
• The Romans produced many works of poetry, comedy,
tragedy, history
Architecture
• The Architecture of Ancient Rome adopted the external
Greek architecture for their own purposes, which were
so different from Greek buildings.
• Social elements such as wealth and high population
densities in cities forced the ancient Romans to discover
new (architectural) solutions of their own.
5. • During the time of decline of Roman empire, few of
Roman give attention on Economic question.
• The economic topic; in Rome were discussed by
Their Philosophers.
• The Roman regarded agriculture as most profitable,
respectful and delightful occupation.
• They dislike luxury and believed on simplicity of
life.
• The Roman Philosopher regarded money lending as
big a crime as murder.
6. • Seneca, a Roman, Philosopher, believe money as the root of
most evils, but he has pointed how trade between nations take
place , out of comparative advantage.
The agriculture writers have discussed the problem of
employment of slave labour on farm, the size of holding, and
so on.
Rome are in favors of small frames.
The attribute large farm , as inefficient.
They regard slave labour as inefficient , and uneconomical
when applied on land.
Slaves did not get kind treatment , when they became too
old they were sold.
7. Roman Law:
The Roman law plays an important role in the history of
economic analysis.
Roman judges were laymen, and they have to be told
what the law was.
The Roman had two sets of laws.
1. The civil law: (Jus eivile) applied on the affairs of
citizens.
2. Jus Gentalism: referred to the body of laws that were
applicable to commercial and other relations between
foreigners, or between citizen and foreigners.
8. • The Roman law based on the fact with the institutions
of private property and contract.
• The Roman law has also provided the definitions of
the concept of price , money , purchase and sale
various kind of loans
• Their historical mission was military and political.