Editing Roman commerce (section)

{{Short description|Major sector of the Roman economy}}
{{Original research|date=July 2023|reason=There is lots of prose throughout the article without any citation.}}[[File:Ménade danzante, Casa del Naviglio, Pompeya.jpg|thumb|A Roman fresco from [[Pompeii]], 1st century AD, depicting a [[Maenad]] in [[History of silk|silk dress]], [[Naples National Archaeological Museum]]; silks came from the [[Han dynasty]] of China along the [[Silk Road]], a valuable trade commodity in the Roman empire, whereas [[Roman glass]]wares made their way [[Sino-Roman relations|to Han China]] via land [[Indo-Roman trade relations|and sea]].<ref>An, Jiayao. (2002), "When Glass Was Treasured in China," in Annette L. Juliano and Judith A. Lerner (eds), ''Silk Road Studies VII: Nomads, Traders, and Holy Men Along China's Silk Road'', 79–94, Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, {{ISBN|2503521789}}, pp 83-84.</ref>]]
'''Roman commerce''' was a major sector of the [[Roman economy]] during the later generations of the [[Roman Republic|Republic]] and throughout most of the [[Roman Empire|imperial period]]. Fashions and trends in [[historiography]] and in popular culture have tended to neglect the economic basis of the empire in favor of the [[lingua franca]] of [[Latin]] and the exploits of the [[Roman legions]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} The language and the legions were supported by trade and were part of its backbone. The Romans were businessmen, and the longevity of their empire was caused by their commercial [[trade]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Whereas in theory members of the [[Roman Senate]] and their sons were restricted when engaging in trade,<ref>Livy, ''The History of Rome'' [http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=Liv3His.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=63&division=div2 21.63] {{dead link|date=July 2016}}</ref> the members of the [[equestrian (Roman)|equestrian]] order were involved in businesses despite their upper-class values, which laid the emphasis on military pursuits and leisure activities. [[Plebs|Plebeians]] and freedmen held shop or manned stalls at markets, and vast numbers of [[slavery in ancient Rome|slaves]] did most of the hard work. The slaves were themselves also the subject of commercial transactions. Probably because of their high proportion in society compared to that in [[Classical Greece]], the reality of runaways, and the [[Servile Wars]] and minor uprisings, they gave a distinct flavor to Roman commerce.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

The intricate, complex, and extensive accounting of Roman trade was conducted with counting boards and the [[Roman abacus]]. The abacus, which used [[Roman numerals]], was ideally suited to the counting of [[Roman currency]] and tallying of [[ancient Roman units of measurement|Roman measures]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}