Although commerce is subject to great transformations, it can happen that certain physical causes, and the quality of the terrain or of the climate, fix its nature forever.
We trade today with the Indies only by means of the silver we send there. The Romans took about fifty million sestertii (…)
Most of the peoples of the African coasts are savages or barbarians. I believe that is largely because nearly uninhabitable lands separate small countries which can be habitable. They have no industry, they have no arts ; they have an abundance of precious metals which they receive directly from (…)
In Europe there is a sort of balancing between nations of the south and of the north. The former have all sorts of conveniences for life, and few needs ; the latter have many needs, and few of the conveniences for life. To the first nations nature has given much, and they demand but little of (…)
From time to time the world puts itself into situations that change commerce. Today the commerce of Europe is principally carried on from north to south. At this time the difference of climates causes the peoples to have great need of each other’s products. For example, beverages shipped from (…)
Commerce, at times destroyed by conquerors and at other times obstructed by monarchs, surveys the earth, flees from where it is oppressed, pauses where it is allowed to breathe ; it reigns today where once there was nothing but deserts, seas and boulders ; and where it once reigned there are (…)
The immense treasures of Semiramis, which could not have been acquired in a day, make us think that the Assyrians had themselves plundered other wealthy nations, as other nations plundered them later.
The effect of commerce is wealth ; after wealth comes luxury, and after luxury perfection of (…)
The early Greeks were all pirates. Minos, who had ruled the sea, was perhaps only the most successful in brigandage ; his domination was limited to the surroundings of his island. But when the Greeks became a people, the Athenians obtained the true command of the sea, because that commercial and (…)
Carthage increased its might with its wealth, and then its wealth with its might. Mistress of the coasts of Africa washed by the Mediterranean, she extended along those of the ocean. Hanno by order of the senate of Carthage distributed thirty thousand Carthaginians from the Pillars of Hercules (…)
The Romans’ only interest was in land troops, whose spirit was always to hold firm, to fight in the same place and to die there. They could have no esteem for the practice of seamen who show up for a fight, flee, return, constantly elude danger, make use of ruse and rarely force. None of that (…)
The Romans have never been noted for jealousy over commerce. It was as a rival nation and not as a trading nation that they attacked Carthage. They favored the cities that engaged in commerce although they were not subjects : thus they increased the might of Marseille by ceding several areas. (…)
Montesquieu
Unité Mixte de Recherche 5317, CNRS