Posts: 1,513
Threads: 210
Joined: Aug 2008
Reputation:
1
Well, I know trying to do calculations of this sort is fraught with dangers, but I can't resist. :wink:
So the average GDP out of that group is about 15,125,000,000 sesterces. What did Beloch guess at an Augustan population? 54,000,000? (I know he is outdated, so I need to check my copy of Brunt.) If we use those numbers we get a GDP per capita of 280. Now what was legionary pay at the time of Augustus? 900 or thereabouts? If so, these GDP numbers seem possible to me.
Posts: 26
Threads: 6
Joined: Apr 2008
Reputation:
0
Lovely... As you said, it's fraught with danger to assume figures, but it's great to have even just a ballpark figure so as to get a rough idea of what it was like.
Kristian D\'\'Amato
Posts: 1,311
Threads: 193
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
4
Scheidel arrives at a GDP per capita of 610-700 International Dollars for a maximum population size of 70 mio in the mid-2nd century AD. He also cites extensively from other estimates. The following is preliminary, since I have not yet read through the whole article which is tricky for a non-economist like me.
Code: Total GDP in International Dollars
Han Empire: 26,820,000,000 (Maddison 2007)
Roman Empire: 22,000,000,000 (Maddison 2007, 44 mio)
Roman Empire: 42,700,000,000 (Scheidel & Friesen 2009, 70 mio)
Roman Empire: 100,000,000,000 (Lo Cascio & Malanima 2009, 100 mio)
Scheidel, Walter; Friesen, Steven J.: ''The Size of the Economy and the Distribution of Income in the Roman Empire'', ''The Journal of Roman Studies'', Vol. 99 (2009), pp. 61–91
Maddison 2007, however, taking the death of Augustus in 14 AD as a reference point, assumes a too small population size of 44 mio, since the Roman population is generally known to grow for another 150 years when it peaked either at 70 mio (low count preferred by Scheidel) or 100 (high count preferred by Lo Cascio).
Thus, the Roman total GDP exceeded Hthat of Han China by 60% or almost 400% respectively.
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
Posts: 1,311
Threads: 193
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
4
It disturbed my peace of mind that there is no easily accessible data on the GDP of the Roman Empire online, so I created today a small table. You wouldn't believe it, but to this day there has been no Wikipedia article on the Roman economy!
As an aside, the estimations of the Roman metal output are jaw-dropping, aren't they?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_economy
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
Posts: 26
Threads: 6
Joined: Apr 2008
Reputation:
0
I take it that it is your writing? If so, well done!
Kristian D\'\'Amato
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
77
Posts: 1,311
Threads: 193
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
4
Quote:I take it that it is your writing? If so, well done!
I've been made aware of a much more comprehensive draft currently in preparation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:G.W./EcRome
The author leans somewhat towards Scheidel (hopefully only a function of his access to ressources), but Lo Cascio, a proponent of the high count, was kind enough to send me his latest article on balance. :mrgreen: Scheidel is also intrigued, probably more though by the sheer scale of the Roman mining industry than my mediocre economic English. I congratulated him on his excellent German, but didn't knew he is from Vienna actually. 
I'd be happy to share all the cited material. But please by email (you know, World cup, these days).
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
Posts: 26
Threads: 6
Joined: Apr 2008
Reputation:
0
This is indeed wonderful. Thanks for getting the resources together. You should be given a medal 
Kristian D\'\'Amato
|
