Joining Forces. Commercial Partnerships or Societates in the Early Roman Empire

Abstract

Confronted with the vagaries of a volatile trading world, Roman merchants were forced to rely on serval institutions to reduce risk and uncertainty. This paper will analyze the rationale and functioning of one of these solutions, viz. the commercial partnership (societas). This feature of the Roman business world allowed investors, producers and distributors to cooperate, share risks and profits and hence enhanced efficiency. By introducing evidence from tituli picti on amphorae, we will be able to follow the way in which Roman merchants found business partners and joined forces.