The Decline of the Ancient World
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• Gibbon states that the Christianity sapped Empire’s morale and created an internal schism in the Western Empire – was this not the same for the Eastern Empire?
• How do the two Empires differ – border length is perhaps a primary difference.  West huge borders; Rhine, Upper Danube, whereas the East was shorter and had a secondary boundary Hellespont, Bosphorous.  West exposed to Babas but east faced only the less aggressive Persians.
• Babas unable to penetrate Asia so headed west – especially the Huns.  Pressurised Gothic groups – Visigoths an Ostrogoths to go west as well.
• East was more populated, better cultivated? Despite false assumption that it was a desert etc.
• Egypt probably produced three times as much revenue as Africa.  Syria and Asia Minor shows agriculturally cultivated.  Britain, fertile, but too much forest.  Danube shows little sign of buildings, but Sardinia, Sicily and Africa richer.
• East was more politically stable – 284 to 603 – Diocletian to Maurice, very few usurpations attempted – few resources wasted on bitty civil wars, conflicts,  After Valentinian III succession ephemeral emperors.
• East healthier in terms of socio-economic situation:
• Land owned by peasants, as opposed to Western tenant system – taxes and rent all build up on the peasant.  Rural conditions poorer – reflected in rural revolts – in Gaul and Spain – used scarce troops
• Landed aristos. Had a stranglehold on administration – slow to hand out rebates and immunities.
• More middle class bureaucracy in the Eats – thus more generous to poor, more agric. Yield reached treasury and not bcrates pockets.
• We had surmounted crisis of mid 3^rd century – reorganised by Diocletian – rapid decline 5^th century – outside pressure or internal pressures.
• Compare writings of two historians: Tacitus and Ammianus – T few wars, whereas Ammianus persistently engaged in warfare.
• mid 3^rd century – migrations of Goths and Tribes along the Danube + increased aggressiveness of Franks and Alamannic.  Huns add pressure via tribes.  Severity of attacks so much that two thirds Roman military power depleted.
• From Diocletian onwards West received very little aid, or assistance form the east.
• Babarian raids increase the size of the army, unsustainable and raining and standards decline.  Yet Roman armies consistently defeat 4^th 5^th and 6^th centuries.
• Extra Army increases economic burden – arm, clothe and feed – burden on new civil service and thus taxes increased.
• Extra taxation – root cause of economic decline
• Marginal lands uncultivated, decline rural population, and new landowner population ties workers to landowners.  Thus shortage of workers.  Tax leads to insufficient food for population growth – Malthusian theory etc.
• Increases in unproductive and expensive mouths – Christianity more expensive than Paganism, idle soldiers, sinecurists, priests, unproductive classes.  Idle mouths burden to stretched peasantry.
• Trade and industry declined from an already small and insignificant base
• Apathy toward Empire – occasional instances of self-help.  A lot of groups simply accepted or embraced the incoming hoards.
• Accepted defeat of acted in self-defence; only in 370 did Thracian miners actually collaborate with invaders.
• Apathetic in the East as well – no tradition of civilian help.  Empire God – mere mortals – not allowed to bear arms.  However 406 when Radaegasius attacks Italy – an appeal for help
• Rigidity of caste system as a reason for collapse, but the East had this as well – exaggerated.
• Idea of Civil Patriotism lost – Jones attributes this to Christianisation of upper classes.  Increasingly seen as dirty work. Thus quantity less and quality declines as corrupt, discontent and waste.  Apathy and defeatism.
• East and West shared many weaknesses, but increased pressure from the outside caused collapse.

Other Notes in this Category

1. Ancient Cities
2. Carolignian Period
3. Charles the Bald
4. Chronology of Byzantium and Persia
5. Dynasty of Theodosius I and Barbarians in the West
6. French and British Agriculture
7. Islamic Conquests up to 700 a.d. - Islamic Strenghts / Roman Weaknesses?
8. Islamic Conquests up to 700 a.d. - Islamic Strenghts / Roman Weaknesses?
9. MOHAMMED, CHARLEMAGEN AND THE ORIGINS OF EUROPE
10. New Centres of Power in the 8th and Ninth Century
11. Peace and War - Rome and Persia - 5-7th Centuries
12. Practice Questions
13. The Age of Attila
14. The Decline of the Ancient World
15. The Mediterranean and the Dilemma of the Roman Empire in Late antiquity
16. Warfare
17. Was successful Kingship in Merovingian Gaul simply a matter of being an effective and lucky war leader?
18. Why did the western empire fall when the east survived?

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