The sun., 1909-02-28
IL

We have seen that the individual Roman
plebeian was well supplied with the bare
necessities Of life, but when we try 10
form some idea Of the way in which he
, was employed or earned a living we en-
counter much difficulty. for the small
people did not interest their educated
fellow citizens, and therefore we hear
hardly anything OF them in the literature
Of the time. The ignoring OF them was
due partly TO an inherited contempt for
all petty industry and retail dealing, but
partly also TO the fact that even in the
late republic the abundant supply Of
slaves enabled all men OF capital to dis
pense largely with the services Of the free
tradesman and free artisan. Beyond
doubt, however. there was in the Rome
Of the last century B. c. a large amount
Of honest and useful labor done by free
citizens. Not yet by any means was the
whole labor OF the city performed by
slaves. On the whole. a great mass Of
the servile population worked within
the households or on the estates OF the
rich and did not interfere 70 any sensible
degree with the labor Of the small free
man. 1t is noteworthy. indeed. that
never at any period did the Roman pro-
letariat complain Of the competition Of
slave labor as detrimental TO its own
interests. No doubt had there been no
slave labor the small freeman might
have had larger field Of enterprise and
have been better able to accumulate
small capital by undertaking work for
the great families which as things were
was done. by their slaves. He was not
aware OF this. however. and the two kinds
Of labor, the paid and the unpaid went on
side by side without active rivalry.
The simple necessities OF the life OF
those who had no slaves Of their own gave
employment TO a great number OF free
tradesmen and to artisans and laborers Of
moe unskilled kind. For example,
with the growth Of the system OF great
lodging houses. or insule. il was no longer
convenient for the ordinary citizen to
grind his grain or bake his bread. SO
the bakers. called pistores. from the old
practice Of pounding the grain in mortar,
soon became a very important and flour
ishing section OF the plebs though never
held in high repute. The trade OF the
baker always included the grinding of
the grain; there were no millers at Rome
On the whole the baking trade must have
given employment to a large number OF
persons. so. beyond doubt. did the sup
ply OF vegetables, which were brought
into the city from market gardens outside
the walls and formed. after grain. the
staple food OF the lower classes OF free
men. The Romans were fully alive TO
the value of vegetable food and of fruit
as healthy diet in warm climates. The
list of vegetables and herbs which we
know Of as consumed by them habitually
fills a whole page in iIarauardts account
Of the subject, and includes most OF those
which are used at the present day. We
may take IL for granted that at all times
the Roman plebeisn consumed fruit and
vegetables largely, and thus gave employ
ment 10 n number OF market gardeners
and small purveyors. Fish he did not
eat like meat it was too expensive. A
few other products, like oil and wine. were
in universal demand but not always pro-
durable 10y the needy. There were