Adam Smith mentioned in The Wealth of Nations that although new colonies had barren land and sparse populations, the indigenous people's compromise and concessions to the colonists often allowed those colonies to prosper faster than other human societies.
Pomona tried to investigate why Spartacus had not crossed the Alps into Gaul. Curiosity drove her to see what might have happened if he had made the same choice as Hannibal, though she had no Time-Turner and could not ask him in person.
The Celts of Gaul were called "the trousered people," distinguishing them from "the toga-wearing italians." When Rome was still ruled by kings, the Gauls had invaded Rome, carried off vast amounts of gold, and burned the city.
Someone had once proposed moving the capital while they had the chance, but the proposal was ultimately rejected. As Rome expanded into Italy, Italian communes sometimes allied with the Gauls to attack the Romans and seek opportunities for independence.
Yet the italians were also opposed to the Gauls. Warfare in Gaul was mainly nomadic in nature, and cavalry was their signature military force. When Hannibal crossed the Alps and his army had suffered losses, he valued their mounted combat abilities and incorporated them into his forces.
As Roman colonies expanded, land distribution created a great many farmers in Gaul. Unfortunately, the number of farmers plummeted during the Hannibalic War. Cato and colleagues who shared his political views pointed out, on the one hand, that Italy had been devastated after the war, with the number of farms and free citizens sharply reduced. On the other hand, they noted that nobles occupied vast tracts of land in Gaul beyond the Alps and elsewhere.
But Pomona did not think that was why Spartacus had decided to turn back.
Then she found Professor Binns.
After Marius