Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Chapter 14, Lesson 4: The Roman Economy (pp. 447-451)
I. An Agricultural Economy
B. Roman farmers' crops were small and they did not make significant profits.
C. The Roman economy was primarily concerned with the basic task of feeding soldiers and city dwellers.
II. Trade in the Empire
B. Mining was largest industry in the empire, with building materials and metals coming from outside of Rome.
C. Trade in manufactured goods was limited, while trade in luxury goods was the smallest part of the economy.
Lesson at a Glance Outline
A. Four out of five people in the Roman Empire worked on farms.
A. The most important trade item for Romans was grain for feeding the vast numbers of people in the Empire.
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