Semantron 2014

in order to keep productivity high 8 . Historians such as James Burke 9 believe that the lack of new markets contributed to the collapse of the economy and the decrease in taxes raised. This is demonstrated by an examination of buildings outside Rome. For example, excavations at Artena uncovered a villa which was built around BC 300 and was inhabited until AD 700 and shows a clear decline in decoration from the 2 nd century onwards. The bad situation was compounded following AlaricÊs 10 attack on Rome which, in conjunction with raids by Alans, Suaves and Vandals, caused sufficient damage to leave the central government no option but to give the people of Rome a four fifthÊs tax break 11 . (The damage caused is hard to quantify due to the biased nature of the Roman historians but from ruins found on archaeological digs, it is clear that it was extensive 12 ). At the same time income from looting and spoils of war dropped. Further loss of revenue occurred when Rome lost control of North Africa to the Vandals. This had an immediate impact and there are reports of pay to soldiers in Europe being stopped following this loss and this highlights the importance of a secure tax base 13 . Peter Heather argues strongly that North Africa was of great value to the declined. This led to the start of feudalism where societies operated independently of the state in terms of trade. Bartlett Bruce, ÂHow excessive government killed RomeÊ. 9 Burke James [1994], Connections. 10 Leader of the Goths who led his people against Rome. 11 Many farmers paid tax in kind, which meant they provided grain instead of money and because of the damage wreaked by the Barbarians, they were unable to pay the required amounts 12 The aim of Barbarians was to force the Romans to accept them into the Empire and negotiate a favourable treaty as well as take lots of loot from the raiding. This can be seen by the long and otherwise useless trip through Greece in 402. 13 Without this secure tax flow, RomeÊs power in Europe was strongly reduced as it could not afford to sustain its military power. 8 This led to greatly reduced trade within the Empire and so taxes that were usually levied on trade

Empire 14 ; in contrast the Eastern Empire could continue to rely on a secure tax base.

This was exacerbated by administrative reforms that gave control of parts of the Empire to individuals. Provinces such as Gaul and Britain lacked central control and existed almost as independent kingdoms 15 . This reduced the tax revenue of Rome as well as having a strongly detrimental effect on RomeÊs ability to deal with the crises which loomed. These combinations of political weakness and economic decline were vital in allowing for Rome to become weak enough to encourage the intrusion of its enemies. At the same time Rome faced a new threat: the Barbarians. The Barbarians, who lived in what is now modern Germany and Poland, had existed as semi-clients of Rome 16 . Because of the wealth of the Empire, the Romans had been able to sustain a suitably strong army and defences to control the Barbarians around the Danube and the Rhine. Indeed, the Barbarians posed little threat before the 4 th century as different groups had been warring amongst each other which allowed the Romans to play them off against each other. 17 In the fourth century, however, this all changed. The Huns, from the steppes in the East, drove through Eastern Europe and threatened the Germanic people with 14 Heather Peter [2009] The Fall of Rome . This disaster of losing North Africa was compounded by the attempt of the East and West to retake it but a huge army that it assembled was destroyed by a storm on its naval crossing. 15 This reduced the complexity of ruling the Empire 16 By this is meant that the Barbarians did not attack the Romans and in return the Romans would respect their rights to their lands. They received money from Rome and in return worked partially with the Empire although at times the two peoples clashed in war due to border disputes. 17 This lack of unity is demonstrated in 414, when a group of Goths and Alans were besieging Bazas and the defenders persuaded the Alans to join them and they then defended the walls of the city.

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