Title Public land in the Roman Republic : a social and economic history of ager publicus in Italy, 396-89 B.C / Saskia T. Roselaar

Published Oxford : Oxford University Press, ©2010

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Description 1 online resource (ix, 360 pages) : illustrations, maps Series Oxford studies in Roman society and law Oxford studies in Roman society and law. Contents Introduction -- Ager publicus from the Regal period to 133 -- The legal conditions of ager publicus -- The second century and the economy of ager publicus -- The Gracchi and the privitization of ager publicus -- Conclusion Summary This book discusses the history of Roman state‐owned land from the early expansion of Rome into Italy to the Social War. Rome usually took land from its defeated enemies, which it then declared to be ‘Roman public land’ or ager publicus. Such land could be distributed to Roman citizens in private ownership or remain in the hands of the state. The book discusses, first, the extent and location of this kind of land, and then the different legal conditions to which such land could be subject. It argues that from the third century bc onwards pressure on the land in Italy increased, as a result of both population growth and an increased demand for land among commercial producers, who wished to profit from growing markets. This in turn resulted in a growing demand for privatization of state‐owned land, as producers wished to safeguard the rights they had to use the land. This led the Roman state to create new legal possibilities for tenure of the land, and in the second and first centuries bc to complete privatization of ager publicus. The book combines new insights on population development and transformations in the Roman economy with detailed study of the legal conditions of ager publicus, using a variety of literary, archaeological, and epigraphical materials. In so doing it argues that many traditional views of late Roman Republican history, such as the occupation of ager publicus by the rich and the resulting decline in the welfare of the Roman peasantry, can no longer be sustained Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-350) and index Notes English Print version record Subject Public lands -- Rome -- History Land use -- Rome -- History Agrarian laws of Rome. Public lands -- Italy -- History BUSINESS & ECONOMICS -- Real Estate -- General. Agrarian laws of Rome Economic history Land use Public lands Social conditions Gemeenschappelijk grondbezit. SUBJECT Rome -- Economic conditions. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85115102 Rome -- Social conditions. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh95006770 Rome -- History -- Republic, 510-30 B.C. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85115114 Subject Italy Rome (Empire) Italië Genre/Form History Form Electronic book ISBN 9780191591488 0191591483 9780191723414 019172341X 9781282792609 1282792601 9786612792601 6612792604

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