The most suitable locus for a trader

Chapter IV The most suitable locus for a trader In Seneca’s belief, locus does not define a man. However, be that as it may, trading operations are highly dependent on location. Thus, a trader should carefully choose a location suitable for trading operations and stay away from inadequate positions because the place of the trader’s dwelling contributes substantially to his progress as well as doom. Many less educated men often fail to understand this fully or properly, and therefore, it is very often the case that those who are ignorant or inexperienced at this business consider places which are fairly unpopulated or such places where the cost of living is cheap and traders are uncommon. I say otherwise, and it is my view that the most suitable position for trading is where, first of all, the air is clean because this is the basis for a good and healthy living. Clean air has proven to be beneficial for human living and bad air has always proven to represent illness. All diseases and great expenses arise from this, which results in a loss of profit and the devastation of all acquisitions. Second, the location needs to be heavily populated with traders and visited by traders and skilled men. In the same way a soldier advances in his occupation by visiting the places where people of his kind abide, a trader whose dwelling is a place frequented by other traders will improve his skills and gain experience day by day, and thus become wealthier accordingly. The vice versa also applies. In a place where more traders abide at the

same time, trading customs and habits are better preserved, so if someone fails to make a great fortune here it is nevertheless almost impossible for him to end up destitute in an environment where he can always seek help and shelter from people in the same trade. Third, a safe dwelling should be sought for where living is peaceful and safe, because as Cicero said in his speech On Electing the Leader, whereas war inflicts harm and misfortune on everything, in trade a mere presentiment or fear can have the same effect. A trader needs his freedom and peace of mind and no disruptions. Fourth, the location should be a place where commercial law is enforced and not Justinian code. Lawyers and their disputes cause considerable troubles for traders, and they are disadvantageous to traders’ profits. In addition, trading disputes are supposed to be short and prompt, but lawyers always work against such a simple course of events.. There are many other trading affairs which are in conflict with the old laws, not perhaps because the laws are not sacred and just in themselves, but they are distorted because of the vice of greed of many modern men, and this leads to wiles and arguments. Legal disputes need to be properly regarded and then resolved by considering their cause, but lawyers turn the whole discussion into a sophist battle of wits and even a distortion of the truth. According to an old trading provision, a commercial court should not adhere to strict legal regulations or pass sentences, but rather be just and benignant. Fifth, the trader should avoid places that are abundant in food because these places are favorable for various enterprises and

hence not suitable for trading business, and so many go bankrupt. Experience has shown that not many foreigners, traders or agents manage to keep their ground and succeed. An example of this is the kingdom of V alencia, which was very prosperous but apparently very few had managed to sustain a prosperous business there, both in my time and in the past. The same happened in the province of Calabria and on Sicily due to the many people who ventured to lease grocery shops, but ended up in bankruptcy. These aspects need to be seriously taken into account because places like this do not have favorable features. It can be observed that the level of commercial progress varies from place to place. This depends on the nature of the financial status of the place. In some areas no man has a fortune that exceeds five hundred gold coins and it is seemingly impossible for them to amass greater wealth no matter how hard they try; and if they do, that extra money is either spent on construction works, invested in agriculture or lent to malevolent debtors. In some other regions, men amass up to one thousand gold coins, or four or ten thousand, etc. This is usually a consequence of certain natural qualities a place like that is endowed with. Thus, if one wants to attain the goal every trader strives for, i.e., to make a fortune, according to Aristotle, one should seek an abode in an area where it is a known fact that traders make the greatest amount of money. As the proverb says: “Big fish swim only in big lakes.” T o conclude, man should choose to dwell in a place which provides him the opportunity to prosper and hence receive great honors and accumulate wealth.