How EXCESSIVE GOVERNMENT KILLED
Year: 1994
Type: article
Abstract: Beginning with the third century B.C. Roman economic policy started to contrast more and more sharplywith that in the Hellenistic world, especially Egypt. In Greece and Egypt economic policy had gradually become highly regimented, depriving individuals of the freedom to pursue personal profit in production or trade, crushing them undera heavyburdenofoppressive taxation,andforcingworkers into vast collectiveswhere they were little better than bees in a great hive. The later Hellenistic period was also one of almost constant warfare,which, together withrampant piracy, closed the seas totrade. The result, predictably, was stagnation. Stagnation bredweakness inthe states ofthe Mediterranean,which partiallyexplains theeasewithwhich Romewas able tosteadily expand its reach beginning in the 3rd century B.C. By the first century B.C., Rome was the undisputed master of the Mediterranean. However, peace did not follow Rome’s victory,for civil wars sapped its strength.
Author: Bruce Bartlett
Language: English
Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies
Subfield: Classics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2551955321