Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/767

 ROJIA. other hand, the estimate cf Dureau de la Malle is Tiiiiioubtedly much too low. The only secure data which we possess on the subject are the records of the number of citizens who received the congiana or imperial largesses, for it is only during the imperial times that we can profess to make any calculation. We learn from the Monu- mentum Ancyranum that Augustus, in his 12th consulate, distributed a pecuniary gift to 320,000 of the plehs urbana. (" Consul xii. trecentis et viginti millibus plebei urbanae sexagenos denarios viritim dedi," tab. iii.) The recipients of this bounty were all males, and probably formed the whole free male population of Rome, with the ex- ception of the senators, knights, and aliens. Women and boys of a tender age did not participate in these distributions. It had been customary for the latter to be admitted to participation after the age of ten ; but Augustus appears to have extended his liberality to still younger children. ("Ne niinores quidem pueros praeteriit, quamvis nonnisi ab undecimo aeta- tis anno accipere consuessent," Suet. Aug. 41.) The distributions of corn seem to have been regulated on stricter principles, as these were regular, not extra- ordinary like the largesses. From these the chil- dren were probably excluded, and there was, perhaps, a stricter inquiry made into the titles of the re- cipients. Thus we learn from the Moti. Ancyranum that those who received corn in the 13th con- sulate of Augustus amounted to rather more than 200,000. (Cf. Dion Cass. Iv. 10.) From the same document it appears that three largesses made by Augustus, of 400 sesterces per man, were never dis- tributed to fewer than 250,000 persons. (" Quae mea congiaria pei-venerunt ad hominum millia nun- quam minus quinquaginta et ducenta," Jb., where Hcick, Rom. Gesch. i. pt. ii. p. 388, by erroneously reading sestertium instead of hominum, has increased the number of recipients to 625,000.) From a passage in Spartian's life of Septimius Severus (c. 23) it would seem that the number entitled to receive the distributions of corn had increased. That author says that Severus left at his death wheat enough to last for seven years, if distributed accord- ing to the regular canon or measure of 75,000 modii daily. Now, if we calculate this distribution ac- cording to the system of Augustus, of five modii per man monthly, and reckon thirty days to the month, then this would leave the number of recipients at 450,000 (75,000 x 30 = 2,250,000 H- 5 = 450,000). According to these statements we can liardly place the average of the male plebeian popula- tion of Rome during the first centuries of the Empire at less than 350,000; and at least twice as much again must be added for the females and boys, thus giving a total of 1,050,000. There are no very ac- curate data for arriving at the numbers of the sena- tors and knights. Bunsen (^Beschr.i. p. 184), with- out stating the grounds of his calculation, sets them down, including their families, at 10,000. But this is evidently much too low an estimate. We learn from Dionysius Halicamassensis (vi. 13) that in the annual procession of the knights to the temple of Castor they sometimes mustered to the number of 5000. But this must have been very far from their whole number. A great many must have been absent from sickness, old age, and other causes; and a far greater number nmst have been in the provinces and in foreign countries, serving with the armies, or em- ployed as publicani, and in otiier public capacities. Yet their families would probably, for the most part, ROMA. 747 reside at Rome. We see from the complaints of Horace how tlie equestrian dignity was prostituted in the imperial times to llberti and aliens, provided they were rich enough for it. (^Epod. iv. in Menam ; cf. Juv. i. 28.) We should, perhaps, therefore be below the mark in fixing the number of knights and senators at 15,000. If we allow a wife and one child only to each, this would give the number of individuals composing the senatorial and equestrian families at 45,000, which is a small proportion to 1,050,000 freemen of the lower class. It may be objected that marriage was very much out of fashion with the higher classes at Rome during the time of Augustus ; but the omission was sup- plied in another manner, and the number of kept women and illegitimate children, who would count as population just as we'l as the legitimate ones, must have been considerable. In this calcula- tion it is important not to underrate the numbers of the higher classes, since they are very im- portant factors in estimating the slave population, of which they were the chief maintaiiiers. The preceding sums, then, would give a total of 1,095,000 free inhabitants of Rome, of all classes. To these are to be added the aliens residing at Rome, the soldiers, and the slaves. The first of these classes must have been very numerous. There must have been a great many provincial persons settled at Rome, for purposes of business or pleasure, who did not possess the franchise, a great many Greeks, as tutors, physicians, artists, &c., besides vast numbers of other foreigners from all parts of the world. The Jews alone must have formed a considerable popula- tion. So large, indeed, was the number of aliens at Rome, that in times of scarcity we sometimes read of their being banished. Thus Augustus on one oc- casion expelled all foreigners except tutors and phy- sicians. (Suet. Ang. 42.) According to Seneca, the greater part of the inhabitants were aliens. " Nul- lum non hominum genus concurrit in iirbem et vir- tutibus et vitiis magna praemia ponentem. Unde domo quisque sit, quaere; videbis majorem partem esse, quae relictis sedibus suis venerit in maximam quidem et pulcherrimam urbem, non tamen suam." ( Cons, ad Uelv. c. 6.) In this there is no doubt some exaggeration ; yet we find the same complaints reiterated by Juvenal : — " Jam pridem Syrus in Tiberim defluxit Orontes." " Hie alta Sicyone, ast hie Amydone relicta. Hie Andro, ' ille Samo, hie Trallibus aut Ala- bandis, Esquilias dictumque petunt a Vimine collem, Viscera magnarum domuum, domini(|ue fu- turi ' (iii- 62, seq.). It would perhaps, then, be but a mode.st estimate to reckon the aliens and foreigners resident at Rome, together with their wives and families, at 100,000. The soldiers and the vigiltn, or police, we can hardly estimate at less than 25,000; and as many of these men must have been married, we may reckon them, with their families, at 50,000. Hence 100,000 aliens and 50,000 military, &c., added to the foregoing sum of 1,095,000, makes 1,245,000 for the total miscellaneous free population of Rome. There are great difficulties in the way of estimating the slave population, from the total absence of any accurate data. We can only infer generally that it must have been exceedingly nmnerous — a fact that is evident from many passages of the ancient authors.