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ECONOMY-ROMAN-0001
Roman Money, Spending Power, and Economic Scale
Status: Canonical Economy Seed
Layer: OTIVM (Roman Merchant)
Purpose: Define how money is earned, accumulated, mobilized, and experienced in the Roman epoch; translate coin values into meaningful purchasing power
Repository Path: docs/economy/ECONOMY-ROMAN-0001.md
0. Design Intent
Coins alone do not explain wealth.
In Roman life, economic power came from a combination of:
- coin in hand
- goods in storage
- debts owed to you
- people willing to help you
- rights you can enforce
- tools and animals you control
- reputation that opens doors
- information received before others
- land or productive assets
This document prevents a false economy where all value is reduced to one wallet number.
For OTIVM, money must mean command over resources.
1. Three Forms of Money
1.1 Coin Stock
Immediate currency held physically.
- asses
- sestertii
- denarii
- aurei
Used for wages, purchases, tolls, lodging, food, and rapid deals.
1.2 Purchasing Power
What current holdings can actually buy here and now.
Affected by:
- local shortages
- season
- city congestion
- military demand
- rumors
- transport cost
One denarius in Ostia during abundance is different from one denarius during panic.
1.3 Credit Capacity
What value can be mobilized beyond current coins.
Affected by:
- AVCTORITAS
- CLIENTELA
- collateral
- IVS_ACCESSVS
- prior reliability
A respected man with little coin may command more than a stranger with a purse.
2. Currency Ladder (Working Standard)
Use as gameplay shorthand.
| Unit | Relative Value |
|---|---|
| 1 aureus | 25 denarii |
| 1 denarius | 4 sestertii |
| 1 denarius | 16 asses |
| 1 sestertius | 4 asses |
Recommended internal storage unit: as
Display unit should scale automatically.
3. How Money Is Created
3.1 Lowest Labourer
Creates money by selling time and strength.
Examples:
- porter
- dock hand
- hauler
- cleaner
- kiln worker
- seasonal field hand
Income fragile. Missed work means missed food.
3.2 Skilled Worker
Creates money by transforming inputs into higher-value outputs.
Examples:
- smith
- carpenter
- wheelwright
- mason
- scribe
Skill creates premium over raw labour.
3.3 Shopkeeper / Retail Trader
Creates money through margin and turnover.
- buys low
- sells conveniently
- profits from location and repeat custom
3.4 Merchant (MERCATOR)
Creates money through:
- regional price differences
- timing
- transport
- bulk purchasing
- information advantage
- risk selection
This is the OTIVM core loop.
3.5 Creditor / Investor
Creates money through capital deployment.
- FAENVS
- partnership shares
- debt purchase
- rebuild finance
- collateral capture
Money earns without direct labour.
3.6 Elite Asset Holder
Creates money through ownership.
- rents
- estates
- tax privileges
- patronage leverage
- monopolized access
4. Everyday Spending Power
Working bands only. Use ranges.
| Item | Range | Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| cheap bread / snack | 0.25–1 | as | Low |
| modest meal | 1–4 | asses | Low |
| bath entry | 0.25–1 | as | Low |
| cheap lodging | 1–4 | asses/night | Low |
| lamp oil small amount | 0.5–2 | asses | Low |
| sandals repair | 2–8 | asses | Low |
Meaning:
Small coin matters.
5. Daily Income Bands
| Role | Working Daily Income |
|---|---|
| unskilled labourer | 4–12 asses |
| porter in active port | 4–16 asses |
| artisan | 8–24 asses |
| trusted clerk | 12–32 asses |
| factor / agent | variable + commission |
Volatility matters as much as rate.
6. Merchant Scale Bands
| Liquid Capital | Meaning |
|---|---|
| under 1 denarius | survival stress |
| 1–5 denarii | petty trading possible |
| 5–20 denarii | small speculation |
| 20–100 denarii | credible merchant action |
| 100–500 denarii | multi-venture operator |
| 500–2,000 denarii | financier-merchant |
| 2,000+ denarii | city-shaping actor |
Gameplay bands, not census classes.
7. Why Some Men Are Richer Than Their Purse
Reputation Wealth
High AVCTORITAS grants:
- trust
- deferred payment
- introductions
- better contract terms
Network Wealth
Strong CLIENTELA grants:
- early information
- labour on request
- witness access
- temporary liquidity
Asset Wealth
Low coin but owns:
- cart
- mule
- tools
- storage rights
- workshop share
- inventory
Household Wealth
Multiple disciplined earners can outperform a careless rich man.
8. Why Some Men Are Poorer Than Their Purse
Coin leaks through:
- debt
- rent
- dependents
- status display
- bribes / fees
- losses in transit
- idle inventory
- bad habits
A Noble Younger Son with 50 denarii may be weaker than a Freedman Trader with 15.
9. Scenario Meaning of Money
Bronze Forge Fire
10 denarii of tools may matter more than 100 denarii of furniture.
Timber Yard Fire
Cheap planks missing can raise many prices.
FAENVS Offer
50 denarii lent well may outperform 50 denarii traded badly.
10. Dynamic Pricing Rule
Avoid static prices.
Use:
price = base_price × city_modifier × season_modifier × scenario_modifier × urgency_modifier
Examples:
- fire raises tools
- dock congestion raises porter wages
- shortage raises grain
- panic lowers distressed asset prices
11. Recommended Parameters
| Token | Meaning |
|---|---|
| coin_stock | coin held |
| liquiditas | deployable value |
| purchasing_power_index | local buying strength |
| credit_capacity | borrowable / commandable value |
| burn_rate_daily | unavoidable expenses |
| venture_threshold | minimum viable capital |
| status_cost_index | cost of appearances |
| household_support_load | dependents burden |
| idle_inventory_drag | trapped capital |
12. Player Experience Rule
Early game:
every as matters.
Mid game:
every denarius matters.
Late game:
reputation and access matter more than coins alone.
The economy should mature with the actor.
13. Confidence Notes
Roman prices vary by:
- century
- region
- legal status
- source quality
- war conditions
- harvest conditions
Use ranges and uncertainty tags.
Never imply modern payroll precision.
14. Repository Use
Internal simulation substrate. Not player-facing text.
Use to support:
- starting funds
- wages
- venture balancing
- city modifiers
- scenario rewards
- lending scale
- actor asymmetry
15. Canonical Success Condition
If the participant stops asking:
“How many coins do I have?”
and starts asking:
“What can these coins command here, today, through me?”
then this document is functioning correctly.