It is very difficult to translate them into intelligible English, but some conception of their style and contents may be had from one or two extracts. In explaining the situation which confronts the world, the Emperor writes: "For, if the raging avarice ... which, without regard for mankind, increases and develops by leaps and bounds, we will not say from year to year, month to month, or day to day, but almost from hour to hour, and even from minute to minute, could be held in check by some regard for moderation, or if the welfare of the people could calmly tolerate this mad license from which, in a situation like this, it suffers in the worst possible fashion from day to day, some ground would appear, perhaps, for concealing the truth and saying nothing; ... but inasmuch as there is only seen a mad desire without control, to pay no heed to the needs of the many, ... it seems good to us, as we look into the future, to us who are the fathers of the people, that justice intervene to settle matters impartially, in order that that which, long hoped for, humanity itself could not bring about may be secured for the common government of all by the remedies which our care affords.... Who is of so hardened a heart and so untouched by a feeling for humanity that he can be unaware, nay that he has not noticed, that in the sale of wares which are exchanged in the market, or dealt with in the daily business of the cities, an exorbitant tendency in prices has spread to such an extent that the unbridled desire of plundering is held in check neither by abundance nor by seasons of plenty!"
If we did not know that this was found on tablets sixteen centuries old, we might think that we were reading a newspaper diatribe against the cold-storage plant or the beef trust. What the Emperor has decided to do to remedy the situation he sets forth toward the end of the introduction. He says: "It is our pleasure, therefore, that those prices which the subjoined written summary specifies, be held in observance throughout all our domain, that all may know that license to go above the same has been cut off.... It is our pleasure (also) that if any man shall have boldly come into conflict with this formal statute, he shall put his life in peril.... In the same peril also shall he be placed who, drawn along by avarice in his desire to buy, shall have conspired against these statutes. Nor shall he be esteemed innocent of the same crime who, having articles necessary for daily life and use, shall have decided hereafter that they can be held back, since the punishment ought to be even heavier for him who causes need than for him who violates the laws."
The lists which follow are arranged in three columns which give respectively the article, the unit of measure, and the price.[89]
Frumenti K{~COMBINING MACRON~}M{~COMBINING MACRON~}
Hordei K{~COMBINING MACRON~}M{~COMBINING MACRON~} unum {~ROMAN NUMERAL TEN~}{~COMBINING LONG STROKE OVERLAY~} c(entum)
Centenum sive sicale " " " {~ROMAN NUMERAL TEN~}{~COMBINING LONG STROKE OVERLAY~} sexa(ginta)
Mili pisti " " " {~ROMAN NUMERAL TEN~}{~COMBINING LONG STROKE OVERLAY~} centu(m)
Mili integri " " {~ROMAN NUMERAL TEN~}{~COMBINING LONG STROKE OVERLAY~} quinquaginta'
The first item (frumentum) is wheat, which is sold by the K{~COMBINING MACRON~}M{~COMBINING MACRON~}
(kastrensis modius=181/2 quarts), but the price is lacking. Barley is
sold by the kastrensis modius at {~ROMAN NUMERAL TEN~}{~COMBINING LONG STROKE OVERLAY~} centum (centum denarii = 43 cents)
and so on.
Usually a price list is not of engrossing interest, but the tables of Diocletian furnish us a picture of material conditions throughout the Empire in his time which cannot be had from any other source, and for that reason deserve some attention. This consideration emboldens me to set down some extracts in the following pages from the body of the edict:
Extracts from Diocletian's List of Maximum Prices
I
In the tables given here the Latin and Greek names of the articles listed have been turned into English. The present-day accepted measure of quantity-for instance, the bushel or the quart-has been substituted for the ancient unit, and the corresponding price for the modern unit of measure is given. Thus barley was to be sold by the kastrensis modius (=181/2 quarts) at 100 denarii (=43.5 cents). At this rate a bushel of barley would have brought 74.5 cents. For convenience in reference the numbers of the chapters and of the items adopted in the text of Mommsen are used here. Only selected articles are given.
(Unit of Measure, the Bushel)
1 Wheat 2 Barley 74.5 cents 3 Rye 45 " 4 Millet, ground 74.5 " 6 Millet, whole 37 " 7 Spelt, hulled 74.5 " 8 Spelt, not hulled 22.5 " 9 Beans, ground 74.5 " 10 Beans, not ground 45 " 11 Lentils 74.5 " 12-16 Peas, various sorts 45-74.5 " 17 Oats 22.5 " 31 Poppy seeds $1.12 34 Mustard $1.12 35 Prepared mustard, quart 6 "
II
(Unit of Measure, the Quart)
1a Wine from Picenum 22.5 cents 2 Wine from Tibur 22.5 " 7 Wine from Falernum 22.5 " 10 Wine of the country 6 " 11-12 Beer 1.5-3 "
III
(Unit of Measure, the Quart)
1a Oil, first quality 30.3 cents 2 Oil, second quality 18 " 5 Vinegar 4.3 " 8 Salt, bushel 74.5 " 10 Honey, best 30.3 " 11 Honey, second quality 15 "
IV
(Unit, Unless Otherwise Noted, Pound Avoirdupois)
1a Pork 7.3 cents 2 Beef 4.9 " 3 Goat's flesh or mutton 4.9 " 6 Pig's liver 9.8 " 8 Ham, best 12 " 21 Goose, artificially fed (1) 87 " 22 Goose, not artificially fed (1) 43.5 " 23 Pair of fowls 36 " 29 Pair of pigeons 10.5 " 47 Lamb 7.3 " 48 Kid 7.3 " 50 Butter 9.8 "
V
(Unit, the Pound)
1a Sea fish with sharp spines 14.6 cents 2 Fish, second quality 9.7 " 3 River fish, best quality 7.3 " 4 Fish, second quality 4.8 " 5 Salt fish 8.3 " 6 Oysters (by the hundred) 43.5 " 11 Dry cheese 7.3 " 12 Sardines 9.7 "
VI
1 Artichokes, large (5) 4.3 cents 7 Lettuce, best (5) 1.7 " 9 Cabbages, best (5) 1.7 " 10 Cabbages, small (10) 1.7 " 18 Turnips, large (10) 1.7 " 24 Watercress, per bunch of 20 4.3 " 28 Cucumbers, first quality (10) 1.7 " 29 Cucumbers, small (20) 1.7 " 34 Garden asparagus, per bunch (25) 2.6 " 35 Wild asparagus (50) 1.7 " 38 Shelled green beans, quart 3 " 43 Eggs (4) 1.7 " 46 Snails, large (20) 1.7 " 65 Apples, best (10) 1.7 " 67 Apples, small (40) 1.7 " 78 Figs, best (25) 1.7 " 80 Table grapes (2.8 pound) 1.7 " 95 Sheep's milk, quart 6 " 96 Cheese, fresh, quart 6 "
VII
(Where (k) Is Set Down the Workman Receives His "Keep" Also)
1a Manual laborer (k) 10.8 cents 2 Bricklayer (k) 21.6 " 3 Joiner (interior work) (k) 21.6 " 3a Carpenter (k) 21.6 " 4 Lime-burner (k) 21.6 " 5 Marble-worker (k) 26 " 6 Mosaic-worker (fine work) (k) 26 " 7 Stone-mason (k) 21.6 " 8 Wall-painter (k) 32.4 " 9 Figure-painter (k) 64.8 " 10 Wagon-maker (k) 21.6 " 11 Smith (k) 21.6 " 12 Baker (k) 21.6 " 13 Ship-builder, for sea-going ships (k) 26 " 14 Ship-builder, for river boats (k) 21.6 " 17 Driver, for camel, ass, or mule (k) 10.8 " 18 Shepherd (k) 8.7 " 20 Veterinary, for cutting, and straightening hoofs, per animal 2.6 " 22 Barber, for each man .9 cent 23 Sheep-shearer, for each sheep (k) .9 " 24a Coppersmith, for work in brass, per pound 3.5 cents 25 Coppersmith, for work in copper, per pound 2.6 " 26 Coppersmith for finishing vessels, per pound 2.6 " 27 Coppersmith, for finishing figures and statues, per pound 1.7 " 29 Maker of statues, etc., per day (k) 32.4 " 31 Water-carrier, per day (k) 10.9 " 32 Sewer-cleaner, per day (k) 10.9 " 33 Knife-grinder, for old sabre 10.9 " 36 Knife-grinder, for double axe 3.5 " 39 Writer, 100 lines best writing 10.9 " 40 Writer, 100 lines ordinary writing 8.7 " 41 Document writer for record of 100 lines 4.3 " 42 Tailor, for cutting out and finishing overgarment of first
quality 26.1 " 43 Tailor, for cutting out and finishing overgarment of second
quality 17.4 " 44 For a large cowl 10.9 " 45 For a small cowl 8.7 " 46 For trousers 8.7 " 52 Felt horse-blanket, black or white, 3 pounds weight 43.5 " 53 Cover, first quality, with embroidery, 3 pounds weight $1.09 64 Gymnastic teacher, per pupil, per month 21.6 cents 65 Employee to watch children, per child, per month 21.6 " 66 Elementary teacher, per pupil, per month 21.6 " 67 Teacher of arithmetic, per pupil, per month 32.6 " 68 Teacher of stenography, per pupil, per month 32.6 " 69 Writing-teacher, per pupil, per month 21.6 " 70 Teacher of Greek, Latin, geometry, per pupil, per month 87 " 71 Teacher of rhetoric, per pupil, per month $1.09 72 Advocate or counsel for presenting a case $1.09 73 For finishing a case $4.35 74 Teacher of architecture, per pupil, per month 43.5 cents 75 Watcher of clothes in public bath, for each patron .9 cent