Ryszard Pankiewicz

Early Roman Economy and the Origins of Monetary System
(Abstract)

In earły Rome possessing cattle was not only a particular form of expressing the social position but it also played a role in premonetary exchange as a substitute for money. In course of time cattle lost its role and gave way to non monetary ore. Still the lex Aternia Tarpeia and the lex Menenia Sestia gave penalties in the form of cattle, while the leges duodecim tabularum gave penalties in copper ore. This change indicates. a new stage of socio-economic relations. It is proper to accept the middłe of the 5^th century B.C. for terminus post quem ot the transition in Roman legislation towards penalties in the form of ore, and not - as it has been considered so far - at the time when the lex Papiria lulia -was laid down.

The works of ancient historiographers, including Livius, let us assume that common metals played a role in the economic life of Roman society relatively early. One should accept the fact that the yalue of asses in the 4^th and the 3^rd, and even in the 5^th century B.C. was measured in term of the weight of copper ore.

The last paragraphs of the article are devoted to the beginnings of the monetary exchange in Rome. The author emphasizes that in its history Italy did not have its own resources of monetary metals, and only tho alliance with Carthage improved the situation in this field. Although the first series of Roman bronze coins was emitted at about 326 C.B., it was the period of Punic wars that brought great changes in Roman mints, and finally the new monetary system was establiehed at the end of the 3^rd century B.C.