Roman Commerce and Mythology: Trade, Markets, and the Underworld

T-7 (1) Shops and Markets

Trade was one of the primary activities Romans engaged in, encompassing all aspects of commerce. Several trends existed: products were sent to Rome, a massive consumer of commodities and luxury goods; products were exchanged between provinces; and trade was carried out in territories that were not part of the Roman world. Products moved in all directions, distributed across the Mediterranean.

(1.1) Life in the Ports

Port operations employed many people to download, store, and distribute products. Goods were kept in warehouses known as Hórreo.

(1.2) Merchant Corporations

Trade required organization through corporations, covering sectors such as the food industry, general trade, and luxury clothing.

(1.3) Markets

Markets were often found on the ground floors of Roman houses. They could be presided over by the homeowner or leased. Shops, known as tabernae, featured a counter, a back room, and a mezzanine that served as a dormitory. These shops were dotted throughout the city, with makeshift markets located in the forum or nearby streets, such as Trajan's Market.

(1.4) Coins

• Aes rude or infectum: Bronze ingots without a seal.
• Aes signatum: Bronze with animal representations (bull, lamb, pork).
• AS: The base unit of currency.
• Silver coins: Sestertius (2 aces) and Denarius (10 aces).
• Aureus: Gold coin worth 25 aces.
• Lenders: Known as Argentario.

Mythology

Charon

Charon was the ferryman who transported souls into the underworld. He was depicted as an old, ugly man with a white beard and tunic, operating a boat across the lagoon.

The Lagoon and the Underworld

At the gates of hell stood Cerberus, a three-headed dog that prevented anyone from escaping. Tartarus was a place of fire surrounded by a river, ruled by Rhadamanthus. The Elysian Fields represented paradise, featuring the river Lethe.

Sisyphus

His job was to torment the guests of Tartarus; Sisyphus was known for being cunning and unscrupulous.

Ixion

A brutal and wicked man who murdered his father-in-law and was punished for his madness.

Tityos

He suffered the punishment of the gods for attempting to rape Leto, the mother of Apollo and Diana. His punishment involved vultures eating his liver.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope, from whom he inherited the gift of music and poetry.