Re: Evolution and stuff (was: Re: HTML: woes)

Anton Sherwood (dasher@netcom.com)
Mon, 16 Mar 1998 20:43:41 -0700


> > Erik Moeller wrote:
> > > Abrams and Wrigley: Towns in Societies (1978), page 41 by Keith
> > > Hopkins: "The minimum tonnage which would give a shipowner tax
> > > immunity for bringing wheat to the city of Rome was 325 tonnes
> > > burden, but that could be split among several ships, provided
> > > none was less then 65 tonnes burden (Digest. 50, 5, 3)"
> > > [burden = cargo, Seems ships of less than 65 to were unwanted
> > > because they consumed too much manpower and caused too much traffic.]

> Anton Sherwood wrote:
> > The rule as cited says nothing about the size of individual ships; it's
> > just a tax break for big business.

Dwayne wrote:
> " provided none was less then 65 tonnes burden"
>
> Which bit of this don't you understand?

Sorry. Must have been half-asleep.

Still, Erik's previous claim, that the biggest medieval ship (about 200
tons, was it?) would not be allowed in a Roman harbor, is invalidated.

-- 
"How'd ya like to climb this high without no mountain?" --Porky Pine
Anton Sherwood   *\\*   +1 415 267 0685
!! visiting New Mexico, end of March !!