Dr. David Gwynn

So what you always have, and in a sense, it's the theme that's running through all of these different problems, is it's not that the Roman Empire is going to collapse, but there are fracture lines within it that are going to be drastically exposed if the opportunity really does emerge.

So what you always have, and in a sense, it's the theme that's running through all of these different problems, is it's not that the Roman Empire is going to collapse, but there are fracture lines within it that are going to be drastically exposed if the opportunity really does emerge.

So what you always have, and in a sense, it's the theme that's running through all of these different problems, is it's not that the Roman Empire is going to collapse, but there are fracture lines within it that are going to be drastically exposed if the opportunity really does emerge.

And so what we see during the collapse of the West along social lines is most of the local populations, they're loyal to the emperor if the emperor is protecting them. But if the emperor is not protecting them, Why would they be loyal to the empire?

And so what we see during the collapse of the West along social lines is most of the local populations, they're loyal to the emperor if the emperor is protecting them. But if the emperor is not protecting them, Why would they be loyal to the empire?

And so what we see during the collapse of the West along social lines is most of the local populations, they're loyal to the emperor if the emperor is protecting them. But if the emperor is not protecting them, Why would they be loyal to the empire?

No. And interestingly, the Roman Empire does have mechanisms for if a community can prove they are exhausted and cannot pay. We do actually have imperial laws saying, right, for 10 years, this region is not paying taxes. There's no question there must have been a series of local incidents that we very rarely hear about. Our best glimpse is Egypt.

No. And interestingly, the Roman Empire does have mechanisms for if a community can prove they are exhausted and cannot pay. We do actually have imperial laws saying, right, for 10 years, this region is not paying taxes. There's no question there must have been a series of local incidents that we very rarely hear about. Our best glimpse is Egypt.

No. And interestingly, the Roman Empire does have mechanisms for if a community can prove they are exhausted and cannot pay. We do actually have imperial laws saying, right, for 10 years, this region is not paying taxes. There's no question there must have been a series of local incidents that we very rarely hear about. Our best glimpse is Egypt.

That's basically just because of the Egyptian papyri that survives in the desert. But that's where you find complaints, for example, being sent to a local army commander that the sheep are being sheared in the night. So someone's breaking into farms and stealing the wool just before the sheep will be sheared.

That's basically just because of the Egyptian papyri that survives in the desert. But that's where you find complaints, for example, being sent to a local army commander that the sheep are being sheared in the night. So someone's breaking into farms and stealing the wool just before the sheep will be sheared.

That's basically just because of the Egyptian papyri that survives in the desert. But that's where you find complaints, for example, being sent to a local army commander that the sheep are being sheared in the night. So someone's breaking into farms and stealing the wool just before the sheep will be sheared.

So they complain to the local army commander because he's the one who's supposed to be maintaining law and order. It's entirely possible it was the army commander who sent his soldiers to do it. So there's not going to be a lot of justice here. And yet, while there is ongoing, therefore, tension, no, there are no really major social revolutions. Because overall, the Roman system did work.

So they complain to the local army commander because he's the one who's supposed to be maintaining law and order. It's entirely possible it was the army commander who sent his soldiers to do it. So there's not going to be a lot of justice here. And yet, while there is ongoing, therefore, tension, no, there are no really major social revolutions. Because overall, the Roman system did work.

So they complain to the local army commander because he's the one who's supposed to be maintaining law and order. It's entirely possible it was the army commander who sent his soldiers to do it. So there's not going to be a lot of justice here. And yet, while there is ongoing, therefore, tension, no, there are no really major social revolutions. Because overall, the Roman system did work.

It didn't work brilliantly. But most people, of course, can't see a better solution. And crucially, thanks to Diocletian and Constantine, across most of the empire, life is relatively stable.

It didn't work brilliantly. But most people, of course, can't see a better solution. And crucially, thanks to Diocletian and Constantine, across most of the empire, life is relatively stable.

It didn't work brilliantly. But most people, of course, can't see a better solution. And crucially, thanks to Diocletian and Constantine, across most of the empire, life is relatively stable.

The coinage is one of our key markers for imperial prosperity. Now, a lot of the empire didn't actually need to worry much about coinage. After all, a lot of local economic transactions can continue in kind. You just do it as barter. The key purpose of the coinage is the emperors mint it to pay the army. The army spend it and the tax system brings it back. Very crudely, that's the cycle.

The coinage is one of our key markers for imperial prosperity. Now, a lot of the empire didn't actually need to worry much about coinage. After all, a lot of local economic transactions can continue in kind. You just do it as barter. The key purpose of the coinage is the emperors mint it to pay the army. The army spend it and the tax system brings it back. Very crudely, that's the cycle.