Rome: Economic Change in the 2nd Century BC - The Context of Mosaic as a Luxury Product

Year 2017, , 101 - 116, 30.11.2017

Filipe Carmo

https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.357018

Abstract

To understand the Roman economy in the 2nd century BC is something that is not possible without being aware

of the process of how the Mediterranean World fused into a political whole, first under the influence and later

under the rule of the Roman State. Constructing the economic history of this period is not possible without

considering the globalisation that occurred in the Mediterranean political realm, as well as the major changes

in the social and economic spheres taking place in the Italian Peninsula.

This context makes it possible to lay down a relationship between the conquering process and the changes that

came about in the field of the land property and land cultivation. A second relationship may be established

between the deep changes that occurred in the distribution of urban and rural populations and the consumption

structure, the origin of corn supplies and the changes in the economic tissue in general. Further consideration

is given to the economic significance of the proceeds coming from the war along with the revenues that Roman

ruling officials and economic agents obtained while administering the imperial domain. The appetite for luxury

goods that resulted from this process led in particular to the building of wealthy houses where fine mosaic

pavements tended to be a common feature.

Keywords

Roman economy, second century BC, economic complexity, state finances, Infrastructures, luxury and mosaics

Roma: İÖ 2. yüzyıl’da Ekonomik Değişim - Lüks Bir Ürün Olarak Mozaik Konteksti

Abstract

İÖ 2. yüzyıl Roma ekonomisini anlamak, politik olarak Akdeniz Dünyası’nın bir bütün halinde önce Roma

Devleti’nin etkisi ardından da yönetimi altındaki süreçte nasıl kaynaştığını anlamadan mümkün değildir.

Akdeniz siyasi topraklarında, üzerinde yaşanan küreselleşmenin yanı sıra İtalyan Yarımadası’nda yaşanan

sosyal ve ekonomik alanlardaki büyük değişiklikler dikkate alınmaksızın, bu dönemin ekonomik tarihinin

oluşturulması imkansızdır.

Bu bağlamda, fethetme süreci ile arazi mülkiyeti ve toprak işleme alanındaki değişiklikler arasında bir ilişki

kurulması mümkün olmaktadır. İkinci bir ilişki, kentsel ve kırsal nüfus dağılımında meydana gelen derin

değişimler ile tüketim yapısı, Mısır tedarikinin kaynağı ve ekonomik dokudaki genel değişiklikler arasında

kurulabilmektedir. Roma yöneticileri aracılığıyla gelen savaş gelirlerinin ekonomik önemi ve imparatorluk

sahasının yönetimi esnasındaki ekonomik etmenler konusunda da derin bir değerlendirme yapılacaktır. Lüks

eşyaya düşkünlüğe sebebiyet veren bu durum, kaliteli mozaik döşemelerinin bulunduğu zengin ev yapılarının

yaygınlaşmasını sağlamıştır.

Keywords

Roma ekonomisi, ekonomik karmaşıklık, elit yapılar, devlet maliyesi, lüks ve mozaik

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