An Economic History of Rome to the end of the Republic

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This historic book may contain numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can often download a free scanned copy of the original work from the publisher. The 1920 edition is not indexed or illustrated. The text highlights the plight of the Italian populace, who faced oppression from the wealthy elite, leading to a decline in their numbers and strength due to poverty, heavy taxation, and military service. When not burdened by these issues, many Italians turned to idleness, as the land was predominantly owned by the rich, who employed slaves instead of free laborers. Appian’s repetitive phrases emphasize the multitude of societal evils. The new generation, deprived of land ownership opportunities, often found themselves in urban slums or emigrating to newly acquired provinces, resulting in a significant loss to Rome's citizenry. Despite a constant manumission of slaves, the citizen rolls saw only a slight annual increase of 1.3% after the Second Punic War, followed by a decline of 0.25% annually over the next thirty years as Rome expanded its empire. An in-depth analysis of the population decline would involve discussing various factors, including the Malthusian law, social issues, and birth control, though data on these topics is scarce. Notably, readers of Roman literature often observe the dwindling number of families contributing to the citizen population.