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【簡譯】羅馬世界中的銀行業(yè)

2022-08-24 18:34 作者:神尾智代 0人讀過 | 我要投稿

Just as in other ancient civilizations, the first banks in Rome began in the temples consecrated to the ancient Gods. Many temples held in their basements the Romans' money and treasure, and were involved in banking activities such as lending. Because they were always occupied by devout workers and priests and regularly patrolled by soldiers, wealthy Romans felt they were safe places to deposit money. Money was commonly stored in various different temples for both practical and security reasons as a temple could catch fire or be ransacked. Priests kept track of deposits and loans. Temples did not pay interest on deposits but charged interest on loans and were involved in currency exchange and validation. There were literally thousands of temples throughout the Roman territories that were also repositories noting that during the Empire public deposits gradually started to be held in private repositories. The Temple of Saturn in Rome housed the Aerarium which was Rome's public treasury. Some temples such as the Juno Moneta temple were also mints.

? ? ? ? ? 正如在其他古代文明中一樣，羅馬的第一家銀行始于供奉古代神靈的神廟中。許多神廟在其地下室存放著羅馬人的錢財(cái)，并參與借貸等銀行活動(dòng)。由于它們總是由虔誠的工人和祭司占據(jù)，并定期有士兵巡邏，富有的羅馬人認(rèn)為它們是存放金錢的安全場所。出于實(shí)用和安全的考慮，錢通常被存放在不同的寺廟中，因?yàn)樗聫R可能會(huì)起火或被洗劫。祭司們對存款和貸款進(jìn)行跟蹤。寺廟不對存款支付利息，但對貸款收取利息，并參與貨幣兌換和驗(yàn)證工作。在整個(gè)羅馬領(lǐng)土上有數(shù)以千計(jì)的寺廟，這些寺廟也是貯藏室。后來，公共存款逐漸開始被存放在私人貯藏室。羅馬的土星廟里有一個(gè)Aerarium（古羅馬給公共金庫的名稱），這是羅馬的公共財(cái)政。一些寺廟，如朱諾-莫內(nèi)塔寺，也是鑄幣廠。

羅馬貨幣兌換商：THE ARGENTARII

The development of commerce throughout the Mediterranean and the expansion of trade to new foreign markets between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE, led to the growth of banking in the Roman world. Aside from temples, money changers located at shops and stalls in the Forum also dealt with banking activities and their role gained greater importance with the development of commerce. Money-changers were preceded by the trapezites (from the Greek word trapeza which means counter), who dealt with bank transactions in counting houses around the Forum. The Greek term was later replaced by the Latin terms argentarii and mensarii (from the word mensa or 'bank' in Latin).

? ? ? ? ? 公元前3世紀(jì)至公元3世紀(jì)期間，整個(gè)地中海地區(qū)商業(yè)的發(fā)展以及貿(mào)易向新的外國市場的擴(kuò)張，促使了銀行業(yè)在羅馬世界的發(fā)展。除了神廟之外，位于論壇的商店和攤位上的貨幣兌換商也會(huì)進(jìn)行銀行活動(dòng)，他們的作用隨著商業(yè)的發(fā)展而變得更加重要。在貨幣兌換商之前，Trapezites（來自希臘語trapeza，意思是計(jì)數(shù)器）在論壇周圍的計(jì)數(shù)室處理銀行交易。這個(gè)希臘術(shù)語后來被拉丁語中的argentarii和mensarii（來自拉丁語中的mensa或'銀行'一詞）取代。

Three types of persons conducted banking activities in Rome: the argentarii, the mensarii and the nummularii. The argentarii, also called argenteae mensae exercitores, argenti distractores or negotiatores stipis argentariae, were private persons, free citizens, independent from the State. They belonged to a guild which accepted only a limited number of new members. The argentarii's main function was to exchange foreign currency for Roman currency (permutatio). They had shops or stalls around the Forum (owned by the state and built by the censors) and their role expanded over time to include almost every money transaction including holding money, lending money, participating in auctions, determining the value of coins (and detecting forged coins), and circulating newly minted money. Their job greatly resembled that of modern-day banks. There were argentarii of all kinds. Some were highly respected and from the upper class, usually the ones carrying out business on a large scale and for very wealthy people while some were looked down upon, usually the ones charging high rates and doing business on a small scale.

? ? ? ? ? 在羅馬，有三種人從事銀行活動(dòng)：argentarii、mensarii和nummularii。argentarii，也被稱為argenteae mensae exercitores、argenti distractores或negotiiatores stipis argentariae，是獨(dú)立于國家的私人、自由公民。他們屬于一個(gè)只接受有限數(shù)量的新成員的行會(huì)。argentarii的主要職能是將外國貨幣兌換成羅馬貨幣（permutatio）。他們在論壇（由國家所有，由檢查員建造）周圍有商店或攤位，隨著時(shí)間的推移，他們的作用擴(kuò)大到幾乎所有的貨幣交易，包括持有貨幣，借出貨幣，參與拍賣，確定硬幣的價(jià)值（和檢測偽造的硬幣），和流通新造的貨幣。他們的工作與現(xiàn)代的銀行非常相似。有各式各樣身份的argentarii。有些人備受尊敬，來自上層社會(huì)，通常是為非常富有的人開展大規(guī)模的業(yè)務(wù)，而有些人則被人看不起，通常是收取高額費(fèi)用和做小規(guī)模業(yè)務(wù)的人。

Permutatio or currency exchange was done for a small fee (collybus). The argentarii also became involved in bills of exchange (already common in Greece): they received a sum of money, for example, to be paid in Athens and they drew a bill payable in Athens by another banker in the Greek city. They had to know the exact value of a foreign coin in different places and at different times. The argentarii also kept money deposited by other persons (depositum), which could sometimes amount to very large sums of money, and made payments on behalf of other persons, just as modern banks do. Payments were made when the owner of the money told the argentarius or when the owner used a cheque (perscriptio) to make a payment. If two persons involved in a transaction used the same argentarius, the argentarius would record (scribere) in his books called codices (or tabulae, rationes) the transfer of money from one account to the other. The codices were very accurate; they recorded dates and every transaction. These records were looked upon as documents of high authority and used in courts of justice as unquestionable evidence. When the money was merely deposited, the argentarius paid no interest and the money was called vacua pecunia. When the money was deposited for an interest paid by the argentarius, the argentarius could use the money in other lucrative transactions (for example, loaning money to other persons).

? ? ? ? ? Permutatio或貨幣兌換是以小額費(fèi)用（collybus）進(jìn)行的。精算師還參與匯票（在希臘已經(jīng)很常見）：例如，他們收到一筆要在雅典支付的錢，他們在雅典開出一張由希臘城市的另一個(gè)銀行家支付的票據(jù)。他們必須知道一種外國硬幣在不同地方和不同時(shí)間的確切價(jià)值。銀行里還保管其他人存入的錢（depositum），這些錢有時(shí)可能達(dá)到非常大的數(shù)額，并代表其他人進(jìn)行支付，就像現(xiàn)代銀行所做的那樣。當(dāng)錢的主人告訴argentarius時(shí)，或者當(dāng)錢的主人使用支票（perscriptio）付款時(shí)，就會(huì)進(jìn)行付款。如果參與交易的兩個(gè)人使用同一個(gè)精算師，精算師會(huì)在他的賬本上記錄（scribere），稱為codices（或tabulae，rationes），將錢從一個(gè)賬戶轉(zhuǎn)到另一個(gè)賬戶。這些賬簿非常準(zhǔn)確；它們記錄了日期和每筆交易。這些記錄被視為具有高度權(quán)威性的文件，在法庭上被用作不容置疑的證據(jù)。當(dāng)錢只是被存入時(shí)，精算師不支付利息，這些錢被稱為vacua pecunia。當(dāng)錢被存入后，由精算師支付利息，精算師可以將錢用于其他有利可圖的交易（例如，將錢借給其他人）。

The argentarii were involved in public auctions and in commercial transactions. They were almost always present in public auctions acting on behalf of other persons, receiving payments and registering the parties involved, the transactions, the articles sold and their price. In commercial transactions, they acted as agents for either party (the seller or the purchaser) and could be involved in selling the entire estate of a person. When large payments were involved, the argentarii were almost always present. They also determined the value of foreign coins and tested the genuineness of coins (probatio nummorum). During the empire, the argentarii were also obligated to purchase newly coined money (solidorum venditio) from the mints and to circulate it among the people.

? ? ? ? ? argentarii參與了公開拍賣和商業(yè)交易。他們幾乎總是出現(xiàn)在公開拍賣會(huì)上，代表其他人接受付款，并登記有關(guān)各方、交易、出售的物品及其價(jià)格。在商業(yè)交易中，他們作為任何一方（賣方或買方）的代理人，可能參與出售一個(gè)人的全部財(cái)產(chǎn)。當(dāng)涉及大額付款時(shí)，argentarii幾乎總是在場。他們還確定外國錢幣的價(jià)值，并檢驗(yàn)錢幣的真實(shí)性（probatio nummorum）。在帝國時(shí)期，argentarii還有義務(wù)從鑄幣廠購買新鑄的貨幣（solidorum venditio）并在民眾中流通。

羅馬的公共銀行家：THE MENSARII

The mensarii (from the word mensa or 'bank' in Latin) were highly respected public bankers appointed by the state in special circumstances, usually in periods of general poverty, especially during periods of war, their goal being to help plebeians overcome economic difficulties and avert social unrest. We note that in ancient Rome plebeians carrying debt (nexum) could be exposed to slavery when they were unable to fulfil their debt obligations. The mensarii first appeared in 352 BCE. Quinqueviri mensarii, forming a five-man commission, were appointed and a public bank was created to address the problem of citizens' indebtedness. The citizens who could provide security were covered from public resources by the quinqueviri mensarii. The citizens who could not do so, transmitted their property to creditors after a reliable valuation was done by public officials. Later, the Lex Minucia De Triumviris Mensariis was passed in 216 BCE which appointed a commission of three people that operated continually until 210 BCE. Its function was the same as the quinqueviri mensarii and even wider.

? ? ? ? ? Mensarii（來自拉丁語中的mensa或'銀行'一詞）是國家在特殊情況下任命的備受尊敬的公共銀行家，通常是在普遍貧困的時(shí)期，尤其是在戰(zhàn)爭時(shí)期，他們的目標(biāo)是幫助平民克服經(jīng)濟(jì)困難，避免社會(huì)動(dòng)蕩。我們注意到，在古羅馬，背負(fù)債務(wù)（nexum）的平民在無法履行其債務(wù)義務(wù)時(shí)可能會(huì)面臨被奴役的命運(yùn)。Mensarii首次出現(xiàn)在公元前352年。政府任命了由五人組成的Quinqueviri mensarii委員會(huì)，并建立了一個(gè)公共銀行來解決公民的債務(wù)問題。能夠提供擔(dān)保的公民由quinqueviri mensarii用公共資源支付。不能提供擔(dān)保的公民，在政府官員進(jìn)行可靠的估價(jià)后，將其財(cái)產(chǎn)轉(zhuǎn)給債權(quán)人。后來，公元前216年通過了Lex Minucia De Triumviris Mensariis，任命了一個(gè)由三人組成的委員會(huì)，一直運(yùn)作到公元前210年。其職能與quinqueviri mensarii相同，甚至更廣泛。

Some of the functions of the mensarii were actually the same as the argentarii and even during ancient times people confused the two. For example, the mensarii held deposits (e.g. soldiers' pay), and they determined the value of coins and their genuineness. The mensarii's role was considered to be positive overall as they were able to address the problem of excess debt in the Roman economy. The names of some mensarii such as Gaius Duilius, Publius Decius Mus, Marcus Papirius, Quintus Publius and Titus Emilius were widely known in the Roman world.

? ? ? ? ? Mensarii的一些功能實(shí)際上與argentarii相同，甚至在古代，人們也將這兩者混淆。例如，mensarii持有存款（如士兵的工資），他們決定貨幣的價(jià)值和真實(shí)性。mensarii的作用總體上被認(rèn)為是積極的，因?yàn)樗麄兡軌蚪鉀Q羅馬經(jīng)濟(jì)中的過度債務(wù)問題。

造幣廠的官員：Nummularii

The nummularii were officers of the mint and their main role was to test the quality of new coins. They held a bank that put new coins into circulation and took old or foreign coins in exchange for new coins. Just like the argentarii and the mensarii, they tested the genuineness of coins especially when large sums were involved in transactions. Many of their functions were the same as the argentarii: they exchanged money for their own account, held deposits, lent money, made payments on behalf of their clients, executed sales – especially auctions of property according to a deceased's will, executed payments at foreign places through local bankers, and they kept books (codex) which could be used as proof in courts.

? ? ? ? ? 鑄幣師是鑄幣廠的官員，他們的主要作用是測試新硬幣的質(zhì)量。他們持有銀行，將新幣投入流通，并接受舊幣或外國硬幣以換取新幣。就像argentarii和mensarii一樣，他們檢驗(yàn)硬幣的真實(shí)性，特別是當(dāng)交易中涉及到大筆資金時(shí)。他們的許多職能與argentarii相同：為賬戶換錢，持有存款，借錢，代表客戶付款，執(zhí)行銷售——特別是根據(jù)死者的遺囑拍賣財(cái)產(chǎn)，通過當(dāng)?shù)劂y行家在國外執(zhí)行付款，他們保存賬簿（codex），可以在法庭上作為證據(jù)使用。

結(jié)? ? ?論

Besides being places of worship, many temples were initially repositories where money was deposited and where most banking transactions were conducted. The Roman money-changers, the argentarii, took a more important role in banking activities as trade in the Roman world grew. Their role was very similar to that of modern-day bankers as they were involved in a wide variety of banking functions. The mensarii were public bankers appointed by the state in periods of general poverty in charge of solving the problem of citizens' indebtedness. They were in a way similar to the "bad banks" set up nowadays, often with public funds to address the problem of non-performing loans in the economy. The nummularii were officers of the mint and their main role was the circulation of new coins, a function also done by modern-day banks. In conclusion, it is quite remarkable how widespread the use of credit was and how developed and complex banking activities were in the Roman world. Banking greatly contributed to the development of commerce and trade, and to the creation of wealth in ancient Rome.

? ? ? ? ? 除了作為禮拜場所，許多神廟最初都是存放錢財(cái)?shù)牡胤?，大多?shù)銀行交易都在這里進(jìn)行。隨著羅馬世界貿(mào)易的增長，羅馬貨幣兌換商，即argentarii，在銀行活動(dòng)中發(fā)揮了更重要的作用。他們的角色與現(xiàn)代的銀行家非常相似，因?yàn)樗麄儏⑴c了各種各樣的銀行交易活動(dòng)。Mensarii是國家在普遍貧困時(shí)期任命的公共銀行家，負(fù)責(zé)解決公民的債務(wù)問題。他們在某種程度上類似于今天設(shè)立的 "救濟(jì)銀行"，通常用公共資金來解決經(jīng)濟(jì)中的不良貸款問題。Nummularii是造幣廠的官員，他們的主要作用是流通新的硬幣，這一職能也由現(xiàn)代銀行完成?？傊诹_馬世界，信貸的使用很廣泛，銀行活動(dòng)是發(fā)達(dá)與復(fù)雜的，這是相當(dāng)了不起的事情。銀行業(yè)極大地促進(jìn)了商業(yè)和貿(mào)易的發(fā)展，并為古羅馬帶來了許多財(cái)富。