The Business of Demetrius the Arabarch and the Roman Coins from India*
The Business of Xxxxxxxxx the Arabarch and the Roman Coins from India*
by XXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXX
Dal contratto di prestito del papiro Muziris emerge che gli arabarchi, appaltatori della ri- scossione dei dazi sulle merci provenienti dall'Oceano Indiano, fornivano supporto finanziario ai mercanti impegnati nei commerci con l'India meridionale tramite il paralemptes, loro agente operativo. L'identificazione del praevalens manceps Xxxxxxxx menzionato da Xxxxxx xx Xxxxxxx con l'arabarca omonimo citato da Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx dimostra che gli arabarchi concedevano anche prestiti marittimi ai mercanti che esportavano in Italia merci soggette ai dazi che essi dovevano riscuotere in Alessandria. Poiché, in virtù dei loro servizi fiscali e operazioni finan- ziarie, gli arabarchi incassavano e quindi ripartivano i ricavi da virtualmente tutte le vendite delle merci importate dall’Oceano Indiano sia ad Alessandria che a Puteoli, essi dovevano anche essere i responsabili della selezione delle monete da esportare in India.
The loan contract partially preserved on the recto side of the Muziris papyrus elucidates the critical role played by the manager (paralemptes) of the customs duties collectors (arabarchs) in financing and facilitating a commercial enterprise to the South Indian trade centre of Muziris. The paralemptes grants a loan to cover the trans- port costs within Egypt (for both the outward and the return journey), plus other minor expenses such as the loading, unloading, and storage of the goods at Coptos and Alex- andria, and guarantees the other contracting party access to a fiscal procedure allowing a delay in the payment of the import customs duties, which will be paid in Alexandria. The agreed terms in the contract reveal a peculiar alliance between tax-payer and tax- collector, resulting from the constraints imposed by the logistics of the South India trade and Roman fiscal policy. The distance of the Nilotic trade centres (Coptos and Alexandria) from the Red Sea harbour (most probably Berenice), combined with the high value of the Erythraic (imported from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean) commod- ities and the high rate of the import customs duties (25 per cent on the incoming cargo), essentially forced the merchants to ask the tax collectors not only for some fiscal flexi- bility, but also for financial and probably logistical support.1
* On 28th February 2022 the Doctoral Program in Ancient History and Philology of Sapienza, University of Rome, held an international seminar, named ‘G. Xxxxxx’x Seminar on Ancient History’ centered around the so-called Murizis Papyrus and the recent research on it. Nine scholars from all over the world and special- izing in various time periods and areas of the Indo-Mediterranean context delivered their papers and partici- pated in the ensuing debate. As organizer of that scholarly event, I asked our participants to submit a paper for publication. For editorial reasons two papers, signed by Xxxxxxxx Xx Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, are published in the current issue of this journal, and the rest of them in the next year’s issue. I would like to thank the editorial board of East and West for their kind hospitality. XXXXX XXXXXX
1 De Romanis 2020: 308-312.