Legal Definitions - argentarius

argentarius

In ancient Roman law, an argentarius was a financial professional who performed functions similar to a modern banker or moneylender. They were central to the Roman economy, engaging in activities such as accepting deposits, extending loans, exchanging currency, and facilitating payments and transfers on behalf of their clients.

• Imagine a Roman merchant, Gaius, who needs capital to purchase a new cargo of exotic spices from the East. Gaius would approach an argentarius to secure a loan, promising to repay the sum with interest once his goods were sold at market. This demonstrates the argentarius acting as a moneylender, providing essential funding for commercial ventures.

• Consider a wealthy Roman senator, Lucius, who has just received a significant inheritance and wishes to keep his funds secure while potentially earning a return. Lucius would deposit his money with an argentarius, who would safeguard the assets and might even manage them or invest them on Lucius's behalf. Here, the argentarius functions as a banker, offering security and financial management services.

• Suppose a Roman landowner in Italy, Julia, needs to pay a contractor for building work completed on her estate in Gaul. Instead of transporting large sums of coinage, Julia could instruct her local argentarius to arrange a credit transfer or payment to the contractor's own argentarius in Gaul. This illustrates the argentarius's role in facilitating inter-regional financial transactions and currency exchange, making commerce and payments more efficient across the vast Roman Empire.