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- Yes – more investment in central govt, more élites moved into countryside. Not a social / economic malaise – changes in institutions of society instead.
- C5 Britain cult / econ collapse, C6 elsewhere in N Europe, C7 Anatolia (Pers invasions) …
- Hodges and Whitehouse – demographic and manufacturing collapse in C5 W and C6/7 E. Trade reduced to primitive state. By 700, E+W under-populated and dilapidated. All this è decline of urban life and ruralisation (e.g. Italy – collapse on Lombard invasions – militarised and violent society à taxes not obtained).
- But Whittow – late R churches were hoards of silver – e.g. ability to keep paying off Persians in C6.
- But these changes had implications for urban culture:
Dictated changes in traditional financial and human resources of cities
- Flight of curial class (John the Lydian and Evagrius) = economic issue; this at root of decline of city culture. Complaints re increasing burdens of their local responsibilities – pressure from centre to increase revenues. Too much imperial interference. Continuity of tax responsibilities in areas not affected by barbarian incursions. But limited allocation now for civic spending.
- Curiales thus tried to get jobs in imperial / clerical service – places taken by less well connected / less educated / poorer citizens. No longer competitive civic centres à less ostentatious architecture. City affairs dealt with in practice by church patriarchs, chosen by local clergy and landowners. New priorities – fundamental nature of city unit likely to change.
- Thessalonika (Macedonia) – Miracles of St Demetrius in early C7 – curia vanished, A/B / clergy / prominent laymen dominant. Consciousness of citizenship acute. Élites embrace new C culture.
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