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Publicani
During the republic, tax collection was left to private companies of
publicani, they were called this because they won by highest bid the contract to collect
the revenues. It was the governor's responsibility to keep the publicani
within the bounds of the lex provinciae so that they did not exploit the helpless
provincials too mercilessly, but this was difficult. Governors expected to make a
profit from their term of office, and some collaborated with the publicani to
strip the provinces of their wealth.
The History of Rome - Part One 743 - 136 B.C. © Bible History Online (http://www.bible-history.com) |