THE EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE.

Northern Advocate, 4 September 1913, Page 6

THE EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE.

Mr Stephen Gasleee has an interesting article in the "Edinburgh" on "The Common People of the Early Roman Empire." He is indebted largely to Ludwig Friedlaender's "Roman Life and Manners Under the Early Empire," but he also refers to many other works, among them the

"Satyricon" of Petronius, one of the most remarkable books of antiquity. It is interesting at this day to read of the trade corporations or guilds, as reminding us that even in Rome's early days trades unions held a large place in the social and economic orgp.nisarirn. There were clubs for c'.et-'.lers in the necessaries and luxur-

ies o! l.fe —greengrocers, butchers

vintners, fishmongers, physicians, architects, school teachers, actors, jugglers, huntsmen, and muleteers. Then there were numerous guilds of a purely industrial nature, such as those of carpenters and

weavers. The guilds exacted from their members an entrance fee and a regular contribution, and in return provided a sick-club, an allowance for funeral expenses, and so forth; and they had a way of petitioning for the abatement of taxation on articles in which they were interested just as the trades unions of to-day have. There were grumblers, then, as now, to complain that prices were up, that the municipality was in league with the bakers to make bread dear, and that meat was beyond the reach of any except millionaires. It should be possible, says Mr Gaselee, to draw a picture of the social life of the ordinary Roman of the lower classes, which would surpass in interest the story of the wars and politics of the great.