Roman economics consisted of mainly three economic classes: the plebs, the equiles, and the senators/emperors. This structure was like a pyramid that the plebs were at the bottom and there were the most of them. The second level was the equiles who were merchants and others who had moved up in the world. The third level as it is called consisted of senators and the emperor. Realistically in Rome the only way to move was down and usually never up the pyramid. This is because wealth and status was mainly based on family and your name. You had a wealthy family and a good name and you were famous.
Another key part to Roman economics was that everyone was GREEDY. Even if you were an emperor and were the richest man/woman in the known world, you would still scheme and plot to get more money. As stated by Martial "Fortune gives too much to many; she gives enough to no one." Greed was a major part of Roman culture because the economic structure was almost directly related to the social structure. Greed shaped Rome and even looking at the government revolves around it. The senators were all just really wealthy people who wanted to write the rules so that they stayed that way. Rome had an interesting economic structure, the likes of which are still seen in the modern world but with different titles and forms but the base remains constant, money means power.
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