Borza Tibor (szerk.): A Magyar Kereskedelmi és Vendéglátóipari Múzeum évkönyve 1976 (Budapest, Magyar Kereskedelmi és Vendéglátóipari Múzeum, 1976)

S. Nagy Anikó: Rómaikori kereskedelem a Kárpát-medencében

ANIKÓ S. NAGY COMMERCE IN THE CARPATHIAN BASIN IN THE ROMAN AGE Roman merchants early appeared on the main and most important trade routs. Having completed the military occupation the Romans began to build roads and so the Carpathian Basin was step by step included into the circulation of the Empire. The most important trade route of the first century was the Amber Road which started at the shore of the Baltic and ended at Aquilea. Another followed along the river Sava. The first trading centres were the legionary camps (Carnuntum, Scarabantia, Poetovio, Siscia), where merchants and craftsmen supplying them settled. The spread of imported articles (pottery, glass and bronze) in Pannónia and on the territory of the neighbour Quads give an outline of the trading network built by the North Italian merchants. In the second century a decisive change took place. The construction of a road along the lines, the organization of Dacia as a province, and the strengthening of urban life opened new possibilities for an economic boom. Having broken the hegemony of the Italians the western merchants took advantage of the changed situation. The Danube became the chief line of communication, new connecting roads were opened and, through Sarmatia's territory a connection was established with Dacia. An organized, bilateral exchange of goods with the Sarmatians started in the market-places of the camps lying along the border roads. Beside Carnuntum the most usable Danube ford was at Aquincum. It was there that goods brought from east, west and south changed hands. In the fori fairs were held for the Sarmatians and there was lively commercial traffic in the meat market-halls (macelli) and small shops. Trading work was, as a rule, in the hands of liberated slaves who operated the customs and money exchanges as well. Trading also took place in village-like settlements (canabae) that grew up round the legionary camps. The trading balance of Pannónia was passive. The province was first of all the mediator of Italian and, later, of western goods, and not an exporter of home produce. 55