7
Supplying the Roman empire
Under the Principate, the Roman government was in a position to exploit
the whole of the Mediterranean basin, north- western and central Europe
and the Balkans. The existence of this massive empire had implications for
distribution and consumption in Rome, Italy and the empire at large. Under
the heading of distribution, one might ask: How did the city of Rome, the
central government and the Roman army secure the consumption items they
needed? How far was the government involved in the supply of essential
foodstuffs? On consumption, the key questions include: What claims were
made by Roman imperial governments on the food resources of the
provinces, and with what consequences for the subsistence and survival
chances of groups and communities, small and large?
Rome
Augustan Rome was a city of around one million residents, and there may
have been more. Recipients of Augustus’ handouts of cash or grain numbered
at various times 320,000, 250,000 and 200,000, by his own reckoning ( Res
Gestae 15). These were exclusively male citizens. The middle fi gure of 250,000
recipients, if eligibility began at the age of ten, implies a population affected by
the grain dole of around 670,000. A slave population of 30 per cent, a
reasonable estimate, brings us not far short of one million inhabitants, without
counting in, on the one hand, resident free foreigners, and, on the other hand,
citizens of both high and low status not involved in the grain dole.^1
One million people is a large number of consumers. No city in the western
world grew so big again until London topped the one million mark in the
eighteenth century. Rome could only grow so big, and remain so big, by
drawing heavily on the resources of the whole empire.
Let us try to quantify the requirements of Rome under Augustus. Needless
to say, almost all numbers are rough estimates and represent only orders of
magnitude. There are fi ve headings:
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