Population of Rome (c. 753–716 BCE)

Senate:

Composed of 100–300 elders (patres), mostly heads of leading families (gentes).

Role: advisory body to the king, helped organize military campaigns and manage early civic affairs.

Not yet legislative; could not override the king.

Popular Assembly (Curiate Assembly / Comitia Curiata):

Organized by 30 curiae, representing family-based clans.

Role: ratified certain decrees, primarily to formally endorse king’s decisions, grant imperium, and witness adoptions/marriages.

Early form of civic participation, but not a democracy.

Military Organization:

Rome’s army initially consisted of all male citizens organized by clan, led directly by the king.

Military service was both civic duty and a basis of social hierarchy.

Local Production

Agriculture (primary economy):

1. Grains: wheat, barley
2. Legumes: lentils, beans
3. Olives and grapes (limited, early viticulture and olive oil)
4. Vegetables, fruit, herbs

Livestock:

1. cattle
2. sheep
3. goats
4. pigs

Crafts:

1. basic pottery
2. woven textiles
3. simple tools

Trade-Oriented Goods

1. Surplus grains (small-scale)
2. Livestock or cured meat
3. Pottery and simple crafts (locally produced)

Exports

Likely exported to nearby settlements in Latium and Etruria

1. Neighboring Latin towns (Alba Longa, Tibur, Praeneste)
2. Early Etruscan cities (Veii, Tarquinii)

Nature of export:

1. mostly barter or gift-exchange; formal market-based export was limited.

Imports

Raw materials and specialized goods not locally produced:

1. Metal: iron, bronze (from Etruria or Greek colonies)
2. Luxury items: Greek pottery, ornaments, and wine
3. Timber and other construction materials (for fortifications)

By the 8th century BCE, Greek city-states were founding colonies in southern Italy and Sicily (Magna Graecia), e.g., Cumae, Naples (Neapolis), Tarentum.

Informal and rudimentary:

Rome did not yet have a formalized taxation system like later Republic or Empire.

King could demand tribute, labor, or military service from dependent communities or conquered peoples.

Land was mostly under king’s control or patrician families; redistribution was under royal authority.

Currency

• No coined money existed in Rome yet.
• Economy was largely subsistence-based, relying on barter and reciprocal exchange.
• Goods and services were exchanged directly: grain, livestock, pottery, tools, and labor.

Means of Value

• Wealth and status were measured in:
• Land ownership (patricians controlling fertile plots)
• Livestock (cattle, sheep, goats)
• War spoils (from raids or conflicts)
• Early Roman society relied on prestige and reciprocal obligations rather than cash.

Tribute and Obligations

• The king could demand tribute, military service, or labor from the population or subordinate communities.
• These “payments” were in-kind, not in coins: grain, livestock, or other goods.
• Patricians might redistribute resources to clients, forming the client-patron system, which functioned partly like an early economic network.