Roman society was rigidly structured by wealth and rank, through both of which equestrians could increase their status. Even the plebs became class-divided. Augustus enabled the municipalities of Italy to practice local government. Romans observed traditional values which in some cases had more validity than the law itself.The Roman economy under the empire was made complicated by the insatiable appetite for luxury in Rome, the dole, the prevalence of slavery, the importance of the army and the exploitation of the provinces. Much depended on whether an emperor tended to be a spendthrift or a miser.Examples of the commoner coins in circulation.