In tempi di guerra e di peste. Horrea e mobilità del grano pubblico tra gli Antonini e i Severi

Si esaminano i problemi logistici connessi al trasferimento del grano pubblico destinato all’approvvigionamento di Roma negli anni segnati dalla peste antonina e dalle campagne militari orientali di Lucio Vero e Settimio Severo

Migralepsy, hemicrania epileptica, post-ictal headache and “ictal epileptic headache”: a proposal for terminology and classification revision

Despite the fact that migraine and epilepsy are among the commoner brain diseases and that comorbidity of these conditions is well known, only few reports of migralepsy and hemicrania epileptica (HE) have been published according to the current ICHD-II criteria. Particularly, ICHD-II describes “migraine-triggered seizure” (i.e., migralepsy) among complications of migraine at “1.5.5” (as a rare event in which a seizure happens during migrainous aura), while hemicrania epileptica (coded at “7.6.1”) and post-ictal headache (coded at “7.6.2”) are described among headaches attributed to epileptic seizure. However, to date neither the International Headache Society nor the International League against Epilepsy mention that headache/migraine may be the sole ictal epileptic manifestation. Based on the current knowledge, migralepsy is highly unlikely to exist as such. We, therefore, propose to delete this term until clear evidence its existence is provided. Moreover, we herein propose a revision of terminology and classification criteria to properly represent the migraine/headache relationships. We suggest the term “ictal epileptic headache” in cases in which headache/migraine is the sole ictal epileptic manifestation

Julio-Claudian Denarii and Aurei in Campania and India

The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of the India trade on the monetary circulation of central Italy and to highlight an aspect of the evolution of the Roman monetary mass during the crucial decades of the Julio–Claudian dynasty. The argument made here is that some peculiar features revealed by the Vesuvian numismatic evidence were a consequence of the export of coins connected to the India trade, and that the distribution of Roman coins found in India reflects the expansion of gold coinage in the Roman monetary system, especially from Tiberius on

The Business of Demetrius the Arabarch and the Roman Coins from India

Dal contratto di prestito del papiro Muziris emerge che gli arabarchi, appaltatori della riscossione dei dazi sulle merci provenienti dall'Oceano Indiano, fornivano supporto finanziario ai mercanti impegnati nei commerci con l'India meridionale tramite il paralemptes, loro agente operativo. L'identificazione del praevalens manceps Demetrio menzionato da Plinio il Vecchio con l'arabarca omonimo citato da Flavio Giuseppe dimostra che gli arabarchi concedevano anche prestiti marittimi ai mercanti che esportavano in Italia merci soggette ai dazi che essi dovevano riscuotere in Alessandria. Poiché, in virtù dei loro servizi fiscali e operazioni finanziarie, gli arabarchi incassavano e quindi ripartivano i ricavi da virtualmente tutte le vendite delle merci importate dall’Oceano Indiano sia ad Alessandria che a Puteoli, essi dovevano anche essere i responsabili della selezione delle monete da esportare in India. The Muziris papyrus loan agreement shows that the Arabarchs, contractors for the collection of duties on goods from the Indian Ocean, provided financial support to merchants engaged in trade with southern India through their paralemptes, the chief of their operating staff. The identification of the praevalens manceps Demetrius mentioned by Pliny the Elder with the homonymous arabarch mentioned by Flavius Josephus shows that the Arabarchs also granted maritime loans to merchants who exported to Italy goods subject to the duties they had to collect in Alexandria. As per their tax services and financial support, the Arabarchs collected the proceeds from virtually all sales of goods imported from the Indian Ocean to Alexandria and then re-exported to Puteoli, and eventually liquidated both the imperial Treasury and the merchants. Indian findings show that the coins exported to India were carefully selected. Therefore, the Arabarchs played a pivotal role in determining the selection of coins destined for export