Bellum se ipsum alet? Financing Republican Imperialism

Bellum se ipsum alet? Financing Republican Imperialism. There is no clearer case of the vital link between money and empire at Rome than war: the Republic's ... Skiptomaincontent Searchform Search YouarehereHome Bellumseipsumalet?FinancingRepublicanImperialism NathanRosenstein Bellumseipsumalet?FinancingRepublicanImperialism ThereisnoclearercaseofthevitallinkbetweenmoneyandempireatRomethanwar:theRepublic’sfinancialresourcesheldthekeytoitsmilitarysuccess.BecauseRomepaiditsownsoldiersandsuppliedgraintoitsalliedcontingents,armieswereabletoremaininthefieldformonthsandevenyearsonend.Theirlongservicetogetherandthetrainingtheyunderwentduringthattimeenabledlegionariesandsociitodevelopaskillatarms,unitcohesion,andtheabilitytomaneuverincombatthatmadethemfarsuperiortotheiropponents.Thestrategiestheirgeneralspursuedintheconductofcampaignswereunconstrainedbythedemandsoftheagriculturalcalendarandtheneedoftheirmentoreturntotheirfarmstoplantnextyear’scrops.AndmonetarystrengthenabledRometofieldseveralarmiessimultaneouslyinthekindofcoordinatedgrandstrategythatnotonlyenabledittoovercomeHannibalbutthentogoontoconquertheentireMediterraneanworldwithinthespanofageneration. GiventhevitalimportanceofmoneyincreatingandsustainingRomanmilitarypower,understandingitssourceisofsurpassingimportance.Onemightnaturallyassumealongwithmanyscholarsthatitmainlycamefromtheverywarsandconqueststhatitmadepossible.Asoneeminenthistorianhasputit,“[E]xpansionbeforetheSecondPunicWarhadgreatlyincreasedpublicrevenueswithoutacomparableincreaseinregularliabilities.Oncethewarwasover,theimpressionmusthavereturnedtosenatorialmindsthatingeneralbothwarandexpansionwereprofitabletothestate”(Harris1979:68-69).ThatassumptionmightseemtofindsupportinaremarktheElderCatoreportedlymadein195ashebeganhiscampaigninSpain:“Thewarwillfeeditself”(Bellumseipsumalet:Livy34.9.12).YetCatoandhiscontemporariesknewthatthiscouldbetruetoonlyalimitedextent.Whilevictoriesyieldedbooty,thatpayoffcameonlyatawar’ssuccessfulconclusionandreachingitcouldtakemanycampaigns.ThispaperwillargueonthecontrarythatalthoughafewrichconquestsduringtheearlysecondcenturyB.C.yieldedenoughspoilstooffsettheexpendituresinvolved,mostoftheRepublic’swarsinthisperiodoperatedatalossandthatoverallRome’sacquisitionofanempireintheseyearscostmorethanitbroughtin,atleastintheshortrun.ThedeficitisevenmoreinevidenceforconquestspriortotheHannibalicWar.Instead,fundingforRome’swarsdependedprincipallyonthetributum,thetaxthatRomancitizenspaidtosupporttheRepublic’smilitaryendeavorsandthesimilartaxitsalliescontributedtopaytheircontingents.Regularpaymentofthetributuminturndependedonarobustclassofassidui,themoderatelyprosperouscitizenswhoshoulderedmostoftheburdenoffinancingtheRepublic’smilitaryendeavors,abodyoftaxpayersthattheRomanleadershiptookpainstofosterandsustain.TheRepublic’sdependenceonthetributuminturngavetheassiduisubstantialpowerwithinthestate.HoweverwiththeendofitscollectionaftertheconquestofMacedonin168andtheacquisitionofotherrichsourcesofrevenue,thatpowerwaned,presagingashiftinthebalanceofpowerbetweenthesenateandtheassidui. Session/PanelTitle RethinkingRomanImperialismintheMiddleandLateRepublic(c.327-49BCE) Session/PaperNumber 58.5 RelatedNews FilterbyCategory: -Any-AwardsandFellowshipsBookReviewsCallsforPapersClassicsintheNewsConferences,Lectures,andMeetingsContemporaryClassicsCultureandClassicsDegreeandCertificateProgramsExecutiveDirectorLettersGeneralAnnouncementsGuestBlogPostsInMemoriamMemberNewsOrganizationsPerformancesPresidentialLettersPublicStatementsSCSAnnouncementsSummerProgramsWebsitesandResources SummerPrograms ExtendedDeadline:DiversifyingtheLatinClassroom,aVergilianSocietytourandcourseinItaly Thi READMORE CallsforPapers CFP:FortunataeJournal For READMORE CallsforPapers CFP:Seneca2022InternationalConference READMORE InMemoriam InMemoriam:HerbertBenario (Fromthe READMORE SummerPrograms WomenLatinistsSummerCourse READMORE CallsforPapers CAAS2022:CFPDeadlineExtended! TheClassicalAssociationoftheAtlanticStates(CAAS)hasextendeditsCall READMORE ClassicsintheNews Ithaca:RestoringandattributingGreekinscriptionsusingArtificialIntelligence READMORE Conferences,Lectures,andMeetings Dura-Europos:Past,Present,Future Dura-Europos:Past,Present,Future-CelebratingtheCente READMORE GotoSCSNews QuickLinks Twitter scsclassics TheapplicationdeadlinefortheKoenenFellowshipinPapyrologyisMarch29,2022.Graduatestudents,postdoctoral…https://t.co/sY1Tn9qvnE— 4days12hoursago scsclassics Todayontheblog,RiyaJunejadiscussesfindingconnectionsfromtheancientworldinmodernmedia,fromCatullus…https://t.co/CoUo1qwksD— 5days13hoursago ContactUs Address: NewYorkUniversity20CooperSquare2ndFloorNewYork,NY10003 Phone: (646)939-0435(Voice) Email: [email protected] FollowSCS ©2020,SocietyforClassicalStudiesPrivacyPolicy