The state created by Diocletian and Constantine used to be described as despotic and oppressive, extracting higher taxes and threatening its subjects with punishments for non-compliance. Recent research, however, paints a different picture. The government strove to be responsive to the needs of its subjects, fair in the allocation of taxes, and to hold its official accountable for their misdeeds.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2295/government-and-taxes-under-diocletian-and-constant/.
Join the Conversation
- Do you think Diocletian and Constantine made the empire fairer or more controlling?
- Was the new tax system good or bad for ordinary people?
- Why do you think some people saw the emperor as a protector instead of a tyrant?
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