Economy
The territory was extremely valuable economically. So much so that Balearicus settled 3,000 ‘Romans’ on the islands in two settlements on Majorca, Palma, and Pollentia. The two settlements attest to the importance of the islands being firmly under Roman control. There is some debate as to where these settlers came from, as it is unlikely there were this many Roman civilians available and willing to colonize Majorca from the mainland at this date. The most likely explanation is that they were veterans from the wars in Spain and Roman-Spanish hybridae. Pollentia was located on the northern side and served as a port for vessels sailing to or from Gaul and Hispania Tarraconensis. The larger settlement, Palmaria (Palma), had a large and sheltered harbor perfectly situated for ships riding the trade winds from Baetica and Mauretania Caesariensis.
The Balearicas had much to trade. Pliny the Elder made a journey to the islands and described many features of their economy. They produced superior wheat compared to the rest of Spain (with Balearic wheat, one modius of grain yielded 35 pounds of bread; Baetic wheat, 22 pounds). Also described was a trade in snails and fine wine that was well received by Romans with Balearica soon becoming a center of wine production. The sea was rich with oysters, tunny fish and mackerel. The bafii (dye-works) in the Baleares served the wool manufacturers of Baetica on route to markets in Italy and the east. Stemming from this, the islands were rich in red ochre (earth colored with iron oxide), used to make red pigment for frescos.
Read more about this topic: Hispania Balearica
Famous quotes containing the word economy:
“Even the poor student studies and is taught only political economy, while that economy of living which is synonymous with philosophy is not even sincerely professed in our colleges. The consequence is, that while he is reading Adam Smith, Ricardo, and Say, he runs his father in debt irretrievably.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)