Salvian

On the other hand, others discerned the hand of God in the revolution and inferred a gracious design of Providence to people France and the world with a new and better species.

Several writers of that day seemed to have been exercised by a sort of religious terror, such as Salvian felt at the sight of the barbarians.

Burke, pursuing his idea, exclaims, Deprived of the old government, deprived in a manner of all government, France, fallen as a monarchy to common speculators, appears more likely to be an object of pity or insult, according to the disposition of the circumjacent powers, than to be the scourge and terror of them all.

But out of the tomb of the murdered monarchy in France has arisen a vast, tremendous, unformed spectre in a far more terrific guise than any which ever yet have overpowered the imagination and subdued the fortitude of man.

The lapse of some three centuries, intercourse with the Romans during the latter part of that period, and the professed adoption of the Arian form of Christianity had no doubt in some measure modified the Gothic character.

And if we are to admit the statement of Salvian, a writer of that period, it would further appear that the morals of the barbarians were of a higher tone than those of the empire.

Still, there can be no doubt that they retained much of their original fierce independence of character.

We have already glanced at the spectacle of Rome invaded by the Goths under Alaric, but though that invasion was a fatal blow given to the city and the empire, it did not complete their ruin.

On the other hand, others discerned the hand of God in the revolution and inferred a gracious design of Providence to people France and the world with a new and better species.

Several writers of that day seem to have been exercised by a sort of religious terror, such as Salvian felt at the sight of the barbarians.

Burke, pursuing his idea, exclaims, "Deprived of the old government, deprived in a manner of all government, France, fallen as a monarchy to common speculators, appears more likely to be an object of pity or insult, according to the disposition of the circumjacent powers, than to be the scourge and terror of them all.

But out of the tomb of the murdered monarchy in France has arisen a vast, tremendous, unformed specter in a far more terrific guise than any which ever yet have overpowered the imagination and subdued the fortitude of man.

M. de Maistre, in seventeen ninety-seven, observed that, "The French Revolution has a Satanic character." On the other hand, others discerned the hand of God in the Revolution, and inferred a gracious design of Providence to people France and the world with a new and better species.

Several writers of that day seem to have been exercised by a sort of religious terror, such as Salvian felt at the sight of the Barbarians.

Burke, pursuing this idea, exclaims, "Deprived of the old government, deprived in a manner of all government, France, fallen as a monarchy to common speculators, appears more likely to be an object of pity or insult, according to the disposition of the circumjacent powers, than to be the scourge and terror of them all.

But out of the tomb of the murdered monarchy in France has arisen a vast, tremendous, unformed specter, in a far more terrific guise than any which ever yet have overpowered the imagination and subdued the fortitude of man.

On the other hand, others discerned the hand of God in the revolution and inferred a gracious design of providence to people France and the world with a new and better species.

Several writers of that day seemed to have been exercised by a sort of religious terror, such as Salvian felt at the sight of the barbarians.

Burke, pursuing his idea, exclaims, Deprived of the old government, deprived in a manner of all government, France, fallen as a monarchy to common speculators, appears more likely to be an object of pity or insult, according to the disposition of the circumjacent powers, than to be the scourge and terror of them all.

But out of the tomb of the murdered monarchy in France has arisen a vast, tremendous, unformed specter in a far more terrific guise than any which ever yet have overpowered the imagination and subdued the fortitude of man.

And here is the detail that Tainter uses to close the case.

Around the year 440, a priest in Gaul named Salvian wrote a furious tract about what he was seeing around him.

Ordinary Romans, he reported, were fleeing to the barbarians, not being captured, choosing to go.

They preferred to live among Goths and Franks rather than under their own government, because whatever the barbarians took from them, it was less than Rome took.

Salvian's phrase was that they would rather be free under the appearance of captivity than captive under the appearance of freedom.

So when the barbarians finally walked in, what were they walking into? A structure so expensive to maintain that its own citizens had stopped wanting it.

Tainter's word for what happened next is economizing.

On the other hand, others discerned the hand of God in the revolution and inferred a gracious design of Providence to people France and the world with a new and better species.

Several writers of that day seem to have been exercised by a sort of religious terror, such as Salvian felt at the sight of the barbarians.

Burke, pursuing his idea, exclaims, "Deprived of the old government, deprived in a manner of all government, France, fallen as a monarchy to common speculators, appears more likely to be an object of pity or insult, according to the disposition of the circumjacent powers, than to be the scourge and terror of them all.

But out of the tomb of the murdered monarchy in France has arisen a vast, tremendous, unformed specter in a far more terrific guise than any which ever yet have overpowered the imagination and subdued the fortitude of man.

and then the tax revolt, which is the part historians used to underplay.

Salvian of Marseilles, writing around 440s, makes a claim that ought to sound more famous than it is.

He says that Romans were fleeing to the barbarians, voluntarily, to escape the tax collectors.

That among the Goths and the Vannals, there was one people and one law, whereas under Rome, there were many tyrannies and there were many tax officials.

that the poor were being flayed to pay the state that gave them nothing.

Salvian was a moralizing priest with an axe to grind, so discount him accordingly, but he isn't alone because the peasants who lived under such an onerous burden from their own government, many of them generally welcomed conquest by the barbarian tribes

who offered them more freedom than the Romans allowed.

And in the meantime, the great