고대 로마의 도시빈민 연구

Abstract

So far most of the studies on Roman poor have coincided in opinion in that the ancient Romans were, for the most part, in needy circumstances. Although the poor were not in economic difficulties with the legal guarantee of the physical and social security, it should not be overlooked that the lower class was obliged to undertake the heavy burden of the Roman upper class in the poor age. In a word the most characteristic reality of life in the majority of Roman people was poverty. The poor man was startled from his sleep of flames invading his attic and the terror of being roasted alive. The insula, the dwelling of the poor, was ill supplied with water as with light and heat. Our great cities are also shadowed by misery, stained by the uncleanness of our slums, dishonoured by the vice they harbour. But at least the disease is usually localized and confined to certain blighted quarters, whereas we get the impression that slums invaded every corner of Imperial Rome. Almost everywhere throughout the ancient Rome the insulae were the property of owners who had no wish to be concerned directly in their management and who leased out the upper storeys to a promoter for five-year terms. Analysis of the terms of poverty showed that there were multifarious categories of poverty. As a whole the poor couldn't form a group within the Roman society. Moreover they were not organized as an independent status and class. Therefore it is probable that the poor can be found in the heterogeneous common people. The value judgement of contemporary writers on the poor was various. As a matter course the absolute poverty could not be worthy of pursuit. But the satisfaction with a simple life was often expressed. Particularly the poverty in Rome was referred to as a shame. The upper orders who had no considerrations for the masses identified the poor with labourers, slaves and criminals. While most of the writers were contemptuous of the poverty of urban poormen, they claimed that the voluntary poverty of property holders by an austerity life was of pursuit. In this regard they seemed to have a dual criterion about poverty.