. In the first century BC lending and borrowing by senators – starting with Caesar and Crassus – was the talk of Rome and even provoked political crises. During this same period, the state tax-farmers, the famous publicani, were handling enormous sums and exploiting the provinces of the empire. | BANKING AND BUSINESS IN THE ROMAN WORLD JEAN ANDREAU BANKING AND BUSINESS IN THE ROMAN WORLD In the first century B c lending and borrowing by senators - starting with Caesar and Crassus - was the talk of Rome and even provoked political crises. During this same period the state tax-farmers the famouspublicani were handling enormous sums and exploiting the provinces of the empire. Until now no book has presented a synthetic view of Roman banking and financial life as a whole from the time of the appearance of the first bankers shops in the Forum between 318 and 310 BC down to the end of the Principate in AD 284. Professor Andreau writes of the business deals of the elite and the professional bankers and also of the interventions of the state. To what extent did the spirit of profit and enterprise predominate over the traditional values of the city of Rome And what economic role did these financiers play How should we compare that role to that of their counterparts in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period JEAN ANDREAU is Directeur d Etudes at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales Paris. He is the author of Les Affaires de Monsieur Jucundus Rome 1974 Vie financière dans le monde romain les metiers de manieurs d argent Rome 1987 and Patrimoines échanges etprêts d argent l economie romaine Rome 1997 . KEY THEMES IN ANCIENT HISTORY Edited by P. A. CARTLEDGE Clare College Cambridge and P D. A. GARNSEY Jesus College Cambridge Key Themes in Ancient History aims to provide readable informed and original studies of various basic topics designed in the first instance for students and teachers of Classics and Ancient History but also for those engaged in related disciplines. Each volume is devoted to a general theme in Greek Roman or where appropriate Graeco-Roman history or to some salient aspect or aspects of it. Besides indicating the state of current research in the relevant area authors seek to show how the theme is significant for our own as well as
