In the Mirror of Rome: Commerce, Conquest and Civilisation Between Venice, Spain and France (1781–1800)

Abstract

Natural and Necessary Enemies: Commerce, Conquest and the "Terrible Lesson" of RomeThe preface, signed by Mengotti, lucidly explained the aim of the research, which was to determine if, besides having been "feared," "opulent" and "great," the Romans had also had "the most flourishing and richest Commerce." In close connection to this, Mengotti asked himself if the "most stable Empire is built on force, or on industry" and if, however "immense," riches can be preserved by a state with a mediocre level of commercial activity. Such an investigation, Mengotti claimed, not only went beyond a purely scholarly study of ancient Rome, but could also provide valuable insights for "Politics, and Civil Economics." 8 According to Mengotti, Rome had an "obscure and ignoble origin" and the Romans "were born in war and grew through war." Their "genius" and "character" consisted of an "excessive appetite for plunder" and thus an insatiable "spirit of conquest," which was incompatible with the "spirit of commerce." In fact, "it is extremely difficult, and perhaps impossible to combine in the same people the character of the soldier and the character of the merchant": the former destroys, the latter preserves; one gains through "arms" and "force," the other through "peace" and "industry." Mengotti's reading of Montesquieu ,9 Melon 10 and Ferguson is evident at this point. 11 For this very reason, in the early centuries the Romans did not practise large-scale commerce, and they were unskilled 8 Francesco Mengotti, Del commercio de ' Romani, i-iii.