Banking in Early Byzantine Ravenna

The fifth century saw an increase of the monetary mass in circulation, both in gold and copper coins, all over the Mediterranean regions of the later Roman world. Such a phenomenon seems to be paralleled by a renewal of financial activity. In fact, it is exactly in this period that our sources reveal the presence of an articulated terminology when referring to people involved in banking and money-changing activities. With regard to sixth-century Italy, this study aims to investigate the class of the argentarii, which is well documented especially in Ravenna. Moreover, it will focus on some rare examples of maritime loans that can be found in Italian sources.