Revision:Introduction and OverviewTSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Introduction and Overview
- When and why does the “Ancient City” come to an end?
- Was any part of Europe and the Near East ever really an urban culture during this period?
Averil Cameron – The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity, A.D. 395-600 Late Roman social structures and the late Roman economy
The Older Model
- Much of economic decline linked to Rome’s collapse – unrealistic
- Complaints about tax collectors and soldiers billeted in town are common, but were in most periods.
- Did evade tax collection, not a new phenomenon
- Theodosian Code – keeping decursions in their towns and colni on the estates often repeated. Suggests represented a totalitarian, repressive, authoritarian regime, but does the repeated - collapsed under its own weight. Does repetition of law suggest ineffectual at that apparatus for enforcing poor? Carried out in practice?
- Literary sources – Christian Lactantius states quadrupling of army, interpreting as negative view of the army. Diocletian does ensure better tax collection, but , but does the level of taxation actually increase?
- Why, if the Empire was so top heavy and ready to collapse, did the East not collapse – importance of external factors.
Alternative Approach
- Archaeology has helped in this field, new theories, although internal factors still there. New debate – old way to see Diocletian’s government reforms as a huge economic change increasing government expenditure, but if we see that as less important, look at underlying economic structures that held good throughout the period.
East and West
- Later period especially we have a divide between the east and the west – basic admin, military and economic structures of Roman state established fourth century still present at time of Justinian. Why West different?
- Roman tax system designed to cope with debasing of coinage. Payments often had to be made in kind; regular census and five year indiction aimed at ensuring reliable collection of taxes. Elaborate matching of need and supply. Consequence of kind was that soldiers stationed nearer to sources of supply – towns, and further away from frontiers. Annona or army supplies still state run and, despite more payments made in cash, important feature of economy stimulating production. Decline of this in fifth century led to economic fragmentation, as was end of grain requisitioning.
- East similar system to West but more success, partly because East had urbanized more quickly. Although ceaseless complaints from city to central government, many aces were flourishing, especially Palestine and Syria. Barbarian incursions put extra pressure on the west, whilst in growing senatorial class and smaller economic base shaped the West. East however spread its wealth more evenly.
- End of our period still possible to discuss a Mediterranean World, but the West has fragmented and Eastern defensive and provincial weakened. Plague and Justinian’s wars of conquest contribute, but so does structural change which sees Eastern cities gradual metamorphosis into medieval towns or villages – begins before the end of the sixth century. Persian invasion early 7th century make it difficult for East to resist Arabian conquests 630 etc. Argue east and west underwent similar changes but at different times, speed of change reflecting local factors.
Conclusion
By late 6th century most cities experiencing fundamental changes – Christianisation and impact of the church. Cities not in simple state of decline, nor were structures being broken down from below. No sign that cities became nearer to centres of production than they had before. Increasing overall view of town and country.
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