The Nauta corporation in early Roman Gaul : The character of local networks shown by the appointment patrons

Abstract

From the latter half of the second to the first half of the third century A.D., inland Gaul enjoyed economical prosperity, despite negative influences of domestic civil unrest and foreign invasion. It was the nauta who played an important role in this economic development, making good use of a network utilizing a system of well-positioned inland waterways. It is surprising, therefore, that the research to date has discussed nauta only from the viewpoint of Roman corporations and commerce focused on a single region. In contrast, the present article attempts to reconsider nauta in the context of Gallic society. Upon examination of 46 epigraphical materials, the author identifies a specific case of a nauta corporation, Corpus Nautarum Araricorum (hereafter, Nauta Araricus), which appointed one of its own members as its patron, in stark contrast to other nauta corporations which were accustomed to appointing non-members as their patrons. As to the background to this peculiarity within the Nauta Araricus, further investigation shows that 1) it cannot be argued that political weakness was the cause, and 2) even though the Nauta Araricus patron was inferior in social status to the patrons of the other nauta corporations, it turns out that he also held the position of patron over a powerful corporation of wine merchants in Lugdunum (Lyon), the commercial and political center of the three Gallic provinces (Lugdunensis, Aquitania, Belgica). The author concludes that in contrast to the other regions in the west of the Roman Empire, Lugdunum was characterized by merchants taking the initiative in forming networks linking various corporations, locally and autonomously, relatively free of clientage to the Roman ruling class.