In the passage quoted from Cicero de Officiis, he expressly mentions the
merchant who _imports_; but he does not once allude to exportation.
Indeed, the commerce of the Romans, in the most luxurious period of the
empire, was entirely confined to importation, and may, with few exceptions,
be designated as consisting in the expenditure of the immense revenue they
derived from their conquests, and the immense fortunes of individuals, in
the necessaries, comforts, and, above all, the luxuries of the countries
which they had conquered.
By far the most extensive and important trade which the Romans carried on
at all periods of their history, was the conveyance of corn and other
provisions to the capital. The contiguous territory at no time was
sufficient to supply Rome with corn; and, long before the republic was
destroyed, even Italy was inadequate to this purpose. As the population
encreased, and the former corn fields were converted into pleasure-grounds
or pasture, the demand for corn was proportionally encreased, and the
supply from the neighbourhood proportionally diminished. But there was
another circumstance which rendered a regular and full supply of corn an
object of prime importance: the influence of the patron depended on his
largesses of corn to his clients; and the popularity, and even the reign of
an emperor, was not secure, unless he could insure to the inhabitants this
indispensable necessary of life.
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