user: calinet - contributed channels

roman empire

the roman empire was essentially the world’s first luxury superpower, a civilization that conquered continents, siphoned wealth from every corner of its reach, and then spent centuries arguing with itself about whether silk, purple, pearls, and fancy dinners were ruining its soul. it was a place where armies marched in iron discipline, but senators still passed laws about how many oysters someone could eat at a party. in other words: a giant engine of power constantly wrestling with its own taste for glitter.

one of the most interesting aspects of the roman empire was its laws regulating luxury consumption. these sumptuary laws, which began in the republic and continued into the imperial era…