The Private Life of the RomansJohnston, Harold Whetstone
History
The Private Life of the Romans
Johnston, Harold Whetstone
Rome -- Social life and customs
as now, of course, but we hear more of this in relation to the jurors
(_iudicēs_) than the judges, probably because with a province before
him the _praetor_ did not think it fitting to stoop to petty
bribetaking.
§408. The Army.--The spoils of war went nominally into the treasury of
the state. Practically they passed first through the hands of the
commanding general, who kept what he pleased for himself, his staff
(§118), and his soldiers and sent the rest to Rome. The opportunities
were magnificent, and the Roman general understood how to use them
all. Some of them were legitimate enough according to the usages of
the time, the plunder of the towns and cities that were taken, the
ransom exacted from those that were spared, the sale of captives as
slaves (§134). Entirely illegitimate, of course, were the fortunes
made by furnishing supplies to the army at extravagant prices or
diverting these supplies to private uses. The reconstruction of the
conquered territory brought in returns equally rich; it is safe to say
that the Aedui paid Caesar well for the supremacy in central Gaul that
he assured them after his defeat of the Helvetii. The civil wars that
cost the best blood of Italy made the victors immensely rich. Besides
the looting of the public treasury, the estates of men in the opposing
party were confiscated and sold to the highest bidder. The proceeds
went nominally to the treasury of the new government, but the proceeds
were infinitesimal in comparison with the profits. After Sulla had
established himself in Rome the names of friends and foes alike were
put on the proscription lists, and if powerful influence was not
exerted in their behalf they lost lives and fortunes. For the
influence they had to pay dearly. One example may be cited. The estate
of one Roscius of Ameria, valued at $300,000, was bid in for $100 by
Lucius Chrysogonus, a freedman of Sulla, because no one dared bid
against the creature of the dictator. The settling of the soldiers on
grants of land made good business for the three commissioners who
superintended the distribution of the land. The grants were always of
farms owned and occupied by adherents of the beaten party, and the
bribes came from both sides.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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