Changes in Taxes Polices by Roman Emperors

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o3aone

Humanities

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Please write about changes in tax polices by Roman emperors. And how taxes changed in the Roman empire over the years and how emperors affected it and why. The requirement is to write 8 and a half pages double-spaced with 2 books and 3 articles as resources. Please make sure that the articles are from reliable/credible sources.

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Running head: TAXATION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Changes in Taxes Polices by Roman Emperors
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Institution

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TAXATION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

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Changes in Taxes Polices by Roman Emperors
Introduction
The success of Rome as it is currently envisioned in its heroic rise and complete utter
dominance was supported by an economic system that was its Achilles’ heel. The sustenance of a
monarchial system that was class-based and expanded over a vast geographical area required a
consistent income generating activity. Consistency was a term not often used at the time as the
Romans battle the barbarians from the west, the Turks from the east, and Muslim campaigns
from the south. More so, such a consistency demanded a regimented system that allowed the
government to function all year-round without having to worry about its war support system. The
class system was another problem for the Roman Empire as the upper echelon heavily dependent
on the lower classes for their survival. The ordinary citizen, together with the enterprising lot
was, therefore, heaped with a hefty tax load. Taxed with the responsibility of supporting an allyear-round military system, the government piled taxes on the people to support its ever bloating
government and to help it maintain a social system that characterized it as a liberated society.
The changing tax system evidenced in ancient Rome assisted in driving the success and ultimate
fall of an empire that was and is still regarded as one of the greatest and successful monarchial
systems to have existed to date.
Understanding the Empire
The start, rise, support, and dominance of the Roman Empire was an exciting interplay
between political, social, economic and military dimensions that shaped change within the
empire. Most people and literature paint the status, success, dominance, and fall from a political,
social, and military perspective; refusing to address the economic system (Black, 2012). The
modern society is struggling politically and socially from an overwhelming and strenuous

TAXATION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

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economic system that was evidenced during the Roman Empire. Growing from a small city-state
on the border of Etruscans and Latin at the center of the Italic peninsula, the Roman Empire
expanded into Africa, the Mediterranean, Asia, and part Europe. Its success is explained through
its ruthless and yet very efficient military system that was able to capture and conquer lands far
away from its capital. At its start, the empire did not need an economic system to support it as
there was no valid system in place to support. It heavily relied on loot from battles and takeovers of its war efforts. However, as it grew, it hard to support the vast conquered land and the
political, administrative system it had set in place to support its functioning. The implementation
of a tax system became a necessity that would help it rise to its economic system.
A Necessary Tax System
At the height of its rise, the empire realized that it needed to support its success. It could
no longer rely on loot from battle, especially for supporting its military expeditions and for
maintaining its dominance. The best way to ensure that everybody contributed to their safety and
protection by the Roman government was through a tax system. The first of those taxes was the
trinutum soli, a land tax that was imposed on every person living under the empire. It was the
most important and initial point of taxation as everybody was eligible as long as they lived
within and under the empire (Bartlett, 1994). It provided the basis upon which regional
government were able to support themselves and also support Rome bloating elite system.
However, this form of taxation was harshest on farmers and peasants who had to pay heavily to a
system that th...


Anonymous
This is great! Exactly what I wanted.

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