Into this port corn arrived for the supply of Rome from various countries; immense quantities of wheat were furnished by the island of Sicily.  Egypt was another of the granaries of the capital of the world; according to Josephus, it supplied Rome with corn sufficient for one-third of its whole consumption:  and Augustus established regular corn voyages from Alexandria to the capital.  Great quantities were also imported from Thrace, and from Africa Proper.  The ships employed in the corn trade, especially between Egypt and Rome, were the largest of any in the Mediterranean:  this probably arose from the encouragement given to this trade by Tiberius, and afterwards increased by Claudius.  The former emperor gave a bounty of about fourpence on every peck of corn imported:  and Claudius, during the time of the famine, made the bounty so great as, at all events, and in every instance, to secure the importers a certain rate of profit.  He also used all his efforts to persuade the merchants to import it even in winter, taking upon himself all the losses, &c. which might arise from risking their ships and cargoes, at a time of the year when it was the invariable practice of the ancients to lay the former up.  Whenever an emperor had distinguished himself by a large importation of corn, especially, if by this means a famine was avoided or removed, medals seem to have been struck commemorative of the circumstance; thus, on several medals there is a figure of a ship, and the words Annona Aug. or Ceres Aug.  Many of these were struck under Nero, and Antoninus Pius.  During the time of the republic, also, similar medals were struck, with the figure of a prow of a ship, and an inscription shewing the object for which the fleets had been sent.

Having been thus particular in describing the importation of corn, we shall notice the imports of other articles in a more cursory manner.  The northern parts of Italy furnished salt pork, almost sufficient for the whole consumption of Rome, tapestry, and woollen cloths, wool, and marble; to convey the latter, there were ships of a peculiar form and construction; steel, crystal, ice, and cheese.

From Liguria, Rome received wood for building, of a very large size, ship timber, fine and beautiful wood for tables, cattle, hides, honey, and coarse wool.  Etruria, also, supplied timber, cheese, wine, and stone; the last was shipped at the ports of Pisa and Luna.  Pitch and tar were sent from Brutium; oil and wine from the country of the Sabines.  Such were the principal imports from the different parts of Italy.