The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-01-05
3araiian 6azettr.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY S. 1881.
Bu.ine.. Lifs in Ancient Rome


provinces. Even the emperors did not dis
dain to he interested in ventures of this Kind.
NJ. Aureiius inherited from his mother i'm
nense brick-factories and even now bricks
are found hearing the name of On. Domitius
Tullus, the Emperor's great grandfather by
adoption. Another Emperor, Pertinax. for
three years conducted a felt factory in Liru-
ria. As senators wero forbidden 10 en,-a-e in
trade, the Emperor had reconrse 10 The nsnpI
expedient 10 bafse the law He 50, in bps;-
ness trus;v freedmen and slaves who distressed
of his manufactures. Other senators owned
potteries or worked mines and ouarries.
But though great Quantities of merchandise
were supplied by these factories. and The finer
fabrics were imported ready-made from ,ba
East, most manufactured articles were pro-
duced on a small scale in tho civ itself II
was truly beehive of artisans and mschan-
les. Bakers, tailors. shoenakers- carnenters
smiths, Divers, tanners. fullers. potters. nasons
carvers, and host of others here husily nlieS
their trades and earned a modest 6ve6boos
OF sboemaksrs there were Ave or 81, y,r;st;ss
Even the SCULPTOR restricted himself To one
branch OF his art. There were artists who
produced only Genii or yictories-nay. Some
whose sole occupatiou was 10 insert ewes into
statues made by others. Two statues have
been found in which the bodies were exact
duplicates, though one was suruounted by
the head of Augustus. the other nv that Of
Agrippa. Some sculptors, therefore. kent ON
hand 4 supply of readv-made bodies. for
which heads were made 10 order. OF eoprse-
the price of work so produced was very low.
and respectable Ife-sized statpe of narbIs
or bruuze could be got for f26 70 ga. At a
time when from e, goo 10 se, 900 wss paid for
a Phidias or Scopas.
No doubt many of the mechanics and trades
men Of Rome were slaves; but that a large
number were free citizens must be inferred
from the number and importance of their COL
legia, or guilds. Their establishment reaches
hack into hoary antiquity. for they are said 10
have been founded by Numa Pempilius. Thew
were associations with corporate rights. whose
aim was not ouly to further the business
interests Of their members. bu. also TO provide
them with congenial amusemeuts. Not only
each trade had its guild, but sometimes each
branch Of a trade. For instance, there were
not only goldsmith and silversmith guilds. but
also guild Of ringmakers. Of their influence
on business life we have no detailed know
ledge. They all worshipped Minerva, the
goddess Of mechanical arts, whose festival
March 10 10 23) they scrupulously ken;
but, besides, each guild had some special
patron, whose feast was celebrated by them
with much pomp and display. The bakers,
for instance, were the special wards of Vesta.
the goddess Of the hearth-6re: and on her
feast June % they marched forth in process
sion, accompanied by their asses. which were
adorned with garlands Of flowers and loayes
Of bread.
The expenses Of the artisan were not very
large, for living at Rome was cheap. From
an edict Of the Emperor Diocletian, which
seems to give the maximum prices of labor
and merchandise, Firbiger has couiectured
that the shop rent cost from EI2 10 GIG Snnp-
ally, while the average yearly paw of a iourney-
man mechanic was from go to s2s and board.
The annual cost of food he computes at IS,
and OF clothing at Is per head. The prices Of
the mechanics product we're corresD1ndir,r-lv
low, as appears from the following items -
l felt hat, Is; pair mans CATERS 2s
pair woman's CATERS, l5d.; pair shoes. Is /
Cd. pair mans sandals, I3d.: I pair sim
pers, I5d. Il tunic. e los. 10 81 IOsI
t0sa, 81 70 ElO. We must not forget To men
ton that shave could be had AZ the most
shop for I'd.
When their earnings were so exceedingly /
mechanics were not likely 10 he i
come millionaires. But even under the most /
adverse circumstances Fortune will smile on 4
her favorites Of these was JuvenaI's barber.
Much 10 the disgust Of the poet, whose beard 4
be had rasped in early manhood, he finally I
rivalled the richest Senator's in wealth. Plinv
tells the story Of an ugly hunch-backed slave.
Clesippus by name, and fuller by trade. At |
an auction sale Of his masters effects, be
was thrown in with candIestick that was
sold to a widow. He gained the favor of his
mistress, became her heir. and bloomed out
into millionaire. Thereafter the candle
stick was the principal deity in his chanel
But, apart from these favorites of fortune.
the artisans of Rome had hard struggle for
existence. They not only labored and toiled
It their trades, but neglected no Opportunity
% turn an honest penny by other expedieuts.
Dur modern distiIler at times kseps ctws. and
sells swill milk, it is said: at Rome every
baker utilised his bran by keeping hogs. and
hese, roaming through the streets Of The
formed pleasing feature in the
andscape, and difFused an exreedin-I,, =,
grant aroma. As we find now and then a
larber who trains canaries TO distract his vic
inns and to put few extra dollars into his
purse, SO the BARRIERS, cobblers, and tailors of
Rome educated crows and magpies. Some of
hese birds have become historical. Under
Tiberius, raven trained by cobbler few 10
he rusta every day and croaked out the name
# the emperor and of his neubevs. Drnsns
md Germanicus. 4 neictboripg tradesmaD
zilled the bird through spite. he eouId not
ave Jared worse had he killed IT. ovner
&c was expelled from the ward and then
while the murdered bet was
,orne TO solemn burial by two hIackumoors
l crow was the heroine Of a les tr.cic5I
tory. It's master had drilled It to saw. .sHaiI