Editing Roman commerce (section)

== Negotiatores, mercatores and pedlars ==
{{further|Banking in ancient Rome}}
[[File:Arco degli Argentarii - lato esterno - Panairjdde.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Arcus Argentariorum]] in Rome, a private offering of the ''argentarii'' and ''negotiantes'' of the [[Forum Boarium]]]]
The ''negotiatores'' were in part bankers because they [[usury|lent money on interest]]. They also bought and sold staples in bulk or did commerce in wholesale quantities of goods.  The ''[[Banking in ancient Rome#Argentarii|argentarii]]'' acted as agents in public or private auctions, kept deposits of money for individuals, cashed cheques (''prescriptiones'') and served as moneychangers. In some instances the ''argentarii'' are considered a subset of the ''negotiatores'' and in others as a group apart. The ''argentarii sometimes'' did the same kind of work as the ''[[Banking in ancient Rome#Mensarii|mensarii]]'', who were public bankers appointed by the state. They kept strict books, called ''tabulae'', which were treated as legal proof by the courts.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

The ''Mercatores'' were usually [[Plebs|Plebeians]] or [[freedmen]]. They were present in all the open-air markets or covered shops, manning stalls or hawking goods by the side of the road. They were also present near Roman military camps during campaigns. They sold food and clothing to the soldiers and paid cash for any booty coming from military activities.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

There is some information on the economy of Roman Palestine from Jewish sources of around the 3rd century AD. Itinerant pedlars (''rochel'') took spices and perfumes to the rural population.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ze'ev |last=Safrai |title=The Economy of Roman Palestine |url=https://archive.org/details/economyromanpale00nfaz |url-access=limited |location=London |publisher=Routledge |year=1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/economyromanpale00nfaz/page/n89 78] |isbn=0203204867 }}</ref> This suggests that the economic benefits of the Empire did reach, at least, the upper levels of the peasantry.