What did Romans want from their conquered people?

Answer 1

Many of Rome's conquest did not come form a grand design of conquest and empire building. They came form being involved in wars and winning them and from wars which were due to them or their allies being attacked.

What the Romans wanted was trade.

Augustus was very active in promoting trade. He created a framework favourable to it and promoted an increase in agricultural and manufacturing production so that more goods could be traded. The clearest example was Egypt, which became the breadbasket of the empire. Privatization of ownership of land and workshops was promoted to increase production for trade. Canals in disrepair were repaired and new ones were built to increase irrigation and the amount of cultivable land. Taxation was lowered (under the previous regime of the Ptolemies it was too high). Greater monetisation also contributed to an increase in production and trade. The use of coins increased.

Augustus created a taxation regime in the empire which was not detrimental to entrepreneurs. The Roman currency also created an empire-wide means of exchange which helped the development of thriving trading networks throughout the empire.

Great public works and engineering works were undertaken: roads, bridges, ports, dams, aqueducts, sewers, temples, public buildings, public baths, theatres and amphitheatres, and military fortifications and forts. These facititated communications and trade, inrpoved sanitation inthe town and public health and provided public amenities and entertainment. and the peoples of the conquered areas became more integrated in the economy of the empire and more exposed to Roman civilisation. The road network of the empire totalled 400,000 kilometres (250,000 miles). A survey of Roman bridges found 931 bridges around the area of empire. The number of aqueducts was 864. New ports were built and some of the existing ports were enlarged.

The most important commodity was grain which was needed to feed Rome's enormous population. Egypt supplied half of this. Other major producers were Tunisia, Sicily and Sardinia. Rome was also a massive importer of olive oil. An artificial hill (mount Testaccio) was built with discarded amphora shreds, most of which had been used for olive oil. Most of this oil came from Spain. Northwest Africa was also another important exporter. Olive oil was produced all over the Mediterranean. Wine was a major item of trade and was produced around the Mediterranean, Turkey and Syria were important exporters) in Gaul and even in Britain and southern Germany.

Besides grain, olive oil and wine, Spain exported gold, silver and other metals, timber and horses. Gaul exported glass, wine and wool. Britannia exported metals, wool and pottery. Turkey and Syria exported timber, wool, and horses. Greece exported manufactures. Egypt exported cotton, linen, papyrus, ivory, gemstones, ebony, ostrich feathers, leopard skins, lions, leopards and elephants. Marble, granite, alabaster and porphyry were also traded for construction.

Roman trade also reached Arabia, which exported incense and spices, Persia, which acted as an intermediary for the trade with China and India, China, which exported silk, and India which exported spices, herbs, sesame oil, sugar, limes, peaches, ebony, pearls and wild animals (tigers, rhinos, elephants, and snakes which were used for circus-type animal acts) and Ethiopia, which exported ebony and Ivory.