Animali come strumento di scambio in funzione monetaria

Historical sources reveal that animals were used to pay fines instead of weighed bronze on the scale. This method of payment was employed throughout Roman history, from its origins to the late Republic. Numerous laws enacted between the 6th and 5th centuries BC, clearly inspired by Solon’s model, provide evidence of this practice. This continuity challenges Mommsen’s evolutionary view of a progression from using oxen to coins as a means of payment over time, and supports the hypothesis that multiple payment methods coexisted. Adopting this perspective offers a more nuanced and complex understanding of the emergence of money in Rome, and recognises the significant influence of the Greek model.