Trade between gauls and romans in gaul in the 1st century B.C.
On this webpage, you will find information about the Gauls' trading with the Romans in Gaul in the 1st century BC.
Gaul is described by the Romans as the West-European zone between the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Rhine. Long before the Romans had conquered that area, they came to trade there with the Gauls, a generic term to indicate the different tribes that lived in this region. However, after the Gallic War, which took place from 58 – 50 B.C., Romans were still interested in the merchandise that the defeated Gauls had to offer. The resulting question arising from these facts is whether or not there is a detectable change in trade. What did trade between the Gauls and the Romans in Gaul look like, and how did it develop in the 1st century B. C.?
To be able to answer this question, we’re going to study a few questions.
- Which were the main commodities?
- Where did trade take place?
- How was the distribution of wares organized ?
Source image : Wikipedia
Answering these subquestions as objectively as possible, a small remark is needed for one of the primary sources of this article. Most of our present knowledge is based on Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, which is a detailed report of the Gallic War. It is important to keep in mind the fact that, even though this work is written as a third-person narrative, it deliberately makes use of propaganda. Therefore, the objectivity of this source has to be questioned constantly.
Which were the main commodities?
The most important commodities which were imported into Gaul before the Gallic War were raw materials, like iron and grain, but the Gauls also delivered slaves to the Romans. The Gauls (actually: the Gallic elite) got roman amphorae (Roman vases) filled with wine in return for the slaves. For the other goods, they received luxury products like certain types of food and fabric. Isn’t it strange that the Gauls exchanged their slaves for wine, which was much less valuable? That wine scandal has to do with the fact that Gauls and Romans had very different views on the value of products. By exchanging their products this way, both the Romans and the Gauls meant to do business in a very lucrative way. But that changed after the Gallic War…
The Gauls found out that the wine in Hispania, another Roman Province (current Spain), was much cheaper than the wine they bought from the Romans. So they went to Hispania themselves to import that equally delicious wine. But that didn’t affect the Romans too much. Even though their consuming market decreased, the Roman demand of slaves in general lessened after the War, due to the increasing cost of importing slaves, imposed by Emperor August. Beside the discontinuance of the wine scandal, another change is noticeable in the type of goods in which the Gauls traded. After the War, they became more and more aware of the requirements of the Romans. As a result, they were able to meet the needs of their Roman clientele: Gauls who lived in wooded areas specialised in manufacturing forest products. In other cities, they concentrated on textile manufacturing, or on forging gold and silver.
Where did trade take place?
Before the Gallic War in the mid-1st century B.C, the main commercial towns were those who were located around the Mediterranean sea, or on the riverside. The reason for the possibility for development for these towns, is the fact that heavy goods had to be transported over water. That way, carts and draught animals did not have to carry that much weight, and transport by sea went faster. That way the products reached the clients sooner, and the saying “time is money” was as true then as it is today. Important trading cities were Massilia (Marseilles), Aquae Sextiae (Aix-en-Provence) on the Mediterranean, but a lot of trade took place before the Gallic War in Arelate (Arles), Lugdunum (Lyon) and Mettis (Metz) as well. From cities like these, the bulk goods were distributed into the hinterlands in smaller quantities. The importance of waterways did not change after the War, but after the Roman triumph over Gaul, a development in the number of commercial cities in southern Gaul is noticeable…
During the consulate of Emperor August, the volume of trade in southern Gaul increased enormously, because Gaul started to import products from other Roman regions at the Mediterranean Sea. Hence, the harbours at the seaside had to extend their surface to make place for bigger ships, and other ports had to be built.
The south also profited, just like the north and east of Gaul, from the migration of the sigillata-factories from the Italian peninsula into Gallic areas. The reason for the transfer was the fact that the consuming market of this stamped pottery was in Gaul, and by decreasing the distance to the costumer, a lot of transportation costs could be saved.
How was the distribution of wares organized ?
Distribution of the merchandise in Gaul was in the 1st century B.C. organised by two types of merchants. The first were called commerçants propriétaires: landowners or owners of factories who traded their goods in a relatively small area. The second kind of merchants was more common : the commerçant négotiatoires, merchands who had connections with networks in a broader area than the commerçants propriétaires had. These commerçants négotiatoires were mediators who took care of the distribution of the merchandise of owners who brought them in to trade their goods over a vast area, or even over the entire Roman empire. But after the Gallic War, it was no longer self-evident that Romans could trade just like that with the defeated Gallic tribes…
The chiefs of Gallic tribes realised that their position was in danger, and that, without intervention, they would be pushed into an inferior position to that of the Romans. To make sure that this would not happen, Gallic chiefs concluded treaties with the Romans: they only had the right to trade with their tribe provided that the tribal chiefs were given a chair intended for Roman senators at the Games. Thus, the Gauls thought themselves to be at the same level as the Romans, which was very important to them.
The relationship between the Gallic and Roman merchants did not change during or after the Gallic War. They kept trading on equal base, not forced to make unprofitable deals. Only for the Averni and their clients did the relationship with the Romans change. As provokers of an enormous revolt against the Romans, in which a large number of Gallic tribes were united, they had to pay tribute to the Romans. Tribes that were not clients of the Averni, continued trading in the way they did before the Gallic War.
Conclusion
The above mentioned information will be summarized to answer our main question: “What did trade between the Gauls and the Romans in Gaul look like, and how did it develop in the 1st century B. C?”
Even though the Gauls traded since long before the Gallic War with the Romans, the Gallic production and trade ware much more adapted on Roman demand after the War than before. The cities where trade took place before Caesars triumph over Gaul were the same after the War, but the number of harbours at the Mediterranean increased, as did the quantity of sigillata-factories in Gaul. But in order to be able to trade with the Gallic tribes, Romans needed to make a deal with the tribal chiefs so that the latter felt equal to the Romans. But generally speaking, the manner in which Gauls traded with the Romans in Gaul, did not change significantly after the Gallic War, compared to the period before the War.
J. L.
Gaul is described by the Romans as the West-European zone between the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Rhine. Long before the Romans had conquered that area, they came to trade there with the Gauls, a generic term to indicate the different tribes that lived in this region. However, after the Gallic War, which took place from 58 – 50 B.C., Romans were still interested in the merchandise that the defeated Gauls had to offer. The resulting question arising from these facts is whether or not there is a detectable change in trade. What did trade between the Gauls and the Romans in Gaul look like, and how did it develop in the 1st century B. C.?
To be able to answer this question, we’re going to study a few questions.
- Which were the main commodities?
- Where did trade take place?
- How was the distribution of wares organized ?
Source image : Wikipedia
Answering these subquestions as objectively as possible, a small remark is needed for one of the primary sources of this article. Most of our present knowledge is based on Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, which is a detailed report of the Gallic War. It is important to keep in mind the fact that, even though this work is written as a third-person narrative, it deliberately makes use of propaganda. Therefore, the objectivity of this source has to be questioned constantly.
Which were the main commodities?
The most important commodities which were imported into Gaul before the Gallic War were raw materials, like iron and grain, but the Gauls also delivered slaves to the Romans. The Gauls (actually: the Gallic elite) got roman amphorae (Roman vases) filled with wine in return for the slaves. For the other goods, they received luxury products like certain types of food and fabric. Isn’t it strange that the Gauls exchanged their slaves for wine, which was much less valuable? That wine scandal has to do with the fact that Gauls and Romans had very different views on the value of products. By exchanging their products this way, both the Romans and the Gauls meant to do business in a very lucrative way. But that changed after the Gallic War…
The Gauls found out that the wine in Hispania, another Roman Province (current Spain), was much cheaper than the wine they bought from the Romans. So they went to Hispania themselves to import that equally delicious wine. But that didn’t affect the Romans too much. Even though their consuming market decreased, the Roman demand of slaves in general lessened after the War, due to the increasing cost of importing slaves, imposed by Emperor August. Beside the discontinuance of the wine scandal, another change is noticeable in the type of goods in which the Gauls traded. After the War, they became more and more aware of the requirements of the Romans. As a result, they were able to meet the needs of their Roman clientele: Gauls who lived in wooded areas specialised in manufacturing forest products. In other cities, they concentrated on textile manufacturing, or on forging gold and silver.
Where did trade take place?
Before the Gallic War in the mid-1st century B.C, the main commercial towns were those who were located around the Mediterranean sea, or on the riverside. The reason for the possibility for development for these towns, is the fact that heavy goods had to be transported over water. That way, carts and draught animals did not have to carry that much weight, and transport by sea went faster. That way the products reached the clients sooner, and the saying “time is money” was as true then as it is today. Important trading cities were Massilia (Marseilles), Aquae Sextiae (Aix-en-Provence) on the Mediterranean, but a lot of trade took place before the Gallic War in Arelate (Arles), Lugdunum (Lyon) and Mettis (Metz) as well. From cities like these, the bulk goods were distributed into the hinterlands in smaller quantities. The importance of waterways did not change after the War, but after the Roman triumph over Gaul, a development in the number of commercial cities in southern Gaul is noticeable…
During the consulate of Emperor August, the volume of trade in southern Gaul increased enormously, because Gaul started to import products from other Roman regions at the Mediterranean Sea. Hence, the harbours at the seaside had to extend their surface to make place for bigger ships, and other ports had to be built.
The south also profited, just like the north and east of Gaul, from the migration of the sigillata-factories from the Italian peninsula into Gallic areas. The reason for the transfer was the fact that the consuming market of this stamped pottery was in Gaul, and by decreasing the distance to the costumer, a lot of transportation costs could be saved.
How was the distribution of wares organized ?
Distribution of the merchandise in Gaul was in the 1st century B.C. organised by two types of merchants. The first were called commerçants propriétaires: landowners or owners of factories who traded their goods in a relatively small area. The second kind of merchants was more common : the commerçant négotiatoires, merchands who had connections with networks in a broader area than the commerçants propriétaires had. These commerçants négotiatoires were mediators who took care of the distribution of the merchandise of owners who brought them in to trade their goods over a vast area, or even over the entire Roman empire. But after the Gallic War, it was no longer self-evident that Romans could trade just like that with the defeated Gallic tribes…
The chiefs of Gallic tribes realised that their position was in danger, and that, without intervention, they would be pushed into an inferior position to that of the Romans. To make sure that this would not happen, Gallic chiefs concluded treaties with the Romans: they only had the right to trade with their tribe provided that the tribal chiefs were given a chair intended for Roman senators at the Games. Thus, the Gauls thought themselves to be at the same level as the Romans, which was very important to them.
The relationship between the Gallic and Roman merchants did not change during or after the Gallic War. They kept trading on equal base, not forced to make unprofitable deals. Only for the Averni and their clients did the relationship with the Romans change. As provokers of an enormous revolt against the Romans, in which a large number of Gallic tribes were united, they had to pay tribute to the Romans. Tribes that were not clients of the Averni, continued trading in the way they did before the Gallic War.
Conclusion
The above mentioned information will be summarized to answer our main question: “What did trade between the Gauls and the Romans in Gaul look like, and how did it develop in the 1st century B. C?”
Even though the Gauls traded since long before the Gallic War with the Romans, the Gallic production and trade ware much more adapted on Roman demand after the War than before. The cities where trade took place before Caesars triumph over Gaul were the same after the War, but the number of harbours at the Mediterranean increased, as did the quantity of sigillata-factories in Gaul. But in order to be able to trade with the Gallic tribes, Romans needed to make a deal with the tribal chiefs so that the latter felt equal to the Romans. But generally speaking, the manner in which Gauls traded with the Romans in Gaul, did not change significantly after the Gallic War, compared to the period before the War.
J. L.
Primary sources
Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Vertaling: Caesar, Oorlog in Gallië. Amsterdam : Salamander (2006) Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Source image http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Map_Gallia_Tribes_Towns.png/640px-Map_Gallia_Tribes_Towns.png |
Main secondary sources
Barney, D. The Network Society. Cambridge : Polity Press (2004) Dumasy, F., Queyrel, F. Archéologie et environnement dans la Méditerranée antique. Geneve : Droz (2009) Gilliver, C., Caesar’s Gallic Wars, 58-50 BC. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited (2002) King, A. Roman Gaul and Germany. Berkeley: University of California Press (1990) Riggsby, A. M., Caesar in Gaul and Rome: War in Words. Austin: University of Texas Press (2010) Tchernia, A. Les Romains et le commerce. Napels : Centre Jean Bernard (2011) West, L. C., ‘Roman Gaul: The Objects of Trade’. Classical Philology, Vol. 32, No. 3 (1937) http://www.academia.edu/5081476/Pre- conquest_Celtic_and_Germanic_trade_with_the_wider_Mediterranean http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Map_Gallia_Tribes_Towns.png/640px-Map_Gallia_Tribes_Towns.png |