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TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Social and Economic Base

• Roman empire wealthy by 600 – unlike most medieval and pre-industrial economies.
• Harvest caused big problems if it failed, transport poor to spread supplies, life expectancy 40 good and infant morality high. Sea travel dangerous,
• Demands market thwarted, no power but human, inadequate comms, coinage credit system, extortion from social superiors and war. Constraints no human solution – magical solutions from holy men not surprising.
• No real change in structures of everyday life before modern times.
• Small peasant farm holdings sustained the Roman economy – not real evidence of large estates, there is in Egypt but these were mainly large numbers of small units. Little known of status of workers – irrelevant.
• Wealth lies in network of cities, rural territory market etc and tax and rent. Then provincial capital of Metropolis, provinces divided into dioceses
• Mid 6th century decline of the city – boule or city council thing of the past – imperial hierarchy and government expands
• Christianity affects near East – monasteries, ecclesiastical procession as money donated there. Also mule and camel change transport and even C stops from being small and narrow streets. Clergy and bishops instead of boule
• Not decline change from one type to another – oligarchies ruling elites into church or civil / imperial administration.
• Coinage, pottery, buildings and silver as indicative of wealth – discount Balkans, not a major economic centre.
• Coinage based, although other forms exchange do exist – pay taxes, food, rent eg etc. Plenty of copper coinage dropped in late 6th and 7th century – sign of vitality
• Red slip – plenty found dated to period sign of vitality – sustain demand and network to distribute
• Amphora evidence highlights wide scale sea trading; EGYPT, Palestine, Syria, Cilicia, western Asia Minor, Constantinople
• Remains in Near East of crumbling gyms etc sign of cultural change, old people’s home, monasteries and churches real sign of wealth
• Church building, esp. In Palestine and Syria pertinent in 600 – and Negev in desert supported a number of thriving cities in 600.
• Milestone massif with Tchalenko evidence points to a decline in 550 – pointing to economic decline.
• Marlia Mango evidence of a lot of silver in decades around 600 – Roman Mesopotamia – persistent raiding for silver, church at Edessa 112,00 pounds of silver – excellent evidence for empire’s prosperity.
• Dehes in limestone hill country 0 evidence of building mod 6th century people still there – only declined several centuries later. Heartlands continue to prosper at beginning of 7th century
• Plague? Would seem to cause economic decline? No such thing, no burial pits, Egyptian sources do not talk of economic decline. Marginal lands in Negev after plague? Why in England plague causes end of marginal lands? If popn. Fell so markedly why do marginal lands continue?
• No evidence of social and economic collapse. Roman empire 600 powerful state, favourable political conditions, supported by prosperous economy.

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