Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/309

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. ^91 bute, and that each head was rated at such a price, CHAP, was universally received, not only in the popular, but even in the legal computation. The value of a tribu- tary head must have varied, according to many acci- dental, or at least fluctuating circumstances ; but some knowledge has been preserved of a very curious fact, the more important, since it relates to one of the rich- est provinces of the Roman empire, and which now flourishes as the most splendid of the European king- doms. The rapacious ministers of Constantius had ex- hausted the wealth of Gaul, by exacting twenty-five pieces of gold for the annual tribute of every head. The humane policy of his successor reduced the capita- tion to seven pieces ^ A moderate proportion between these opposite extremes of extraordinai*y oppression and of transient indulgence, may therefore be fixed at sixteen pieces of gold, or about nine pounds sterling, the common standard perhaps of the impositions of Gaul'. But this calculation, or rather indeed the facts from whence it is deduced, cannot fail of sucjoestinff two difficulties to a thinking mind, who will be at once surprised by the equality, and by the enormity of the capitation. An attempt to explain them may perhaps reflect some light on the interesting subject of the finances of the declining empire. ' Quid profuerit (Julianus) anhelantibus extreina penuria Gallis, liinc maxime claret, quod primitus partes eas ingressus, pro capitihits singulis trihuti nomine vicenos quinos aureos reperit flagitari ; discedens vero septe- nos tantum munera universa compleates. Ammian. 1. xvi. c. 5. ' In the calculation of any sum of money under Constantine and his suc- cessors, we need only refer to the excellent discourse of Mr. Greaves on the denarius, for the proof of the following principles : 1. That the ancient and modern Roman pound, containing five thousand two hundred and fifty six grains of Troy weight, is about one twelfth lighter than the English pound, which is composed of five thousand seven hundred and sixty of the same grains. 2. That the pound of gold, which had once heen divided into forty-eight aurei, was at this time coined into seventy-two smaller pieces of the same denomination. 3. That five of these aurei were the legal tender for a pound of silver ; and that consequently the pound of gold was ex- changed for fourteen pounds eight ounces of silver, according to the Roman, or about thirteen pounds according to the English, weight. 4. That the English pound of silver is coined into sixty -tuo shillings. From these ele- ments we may compute the Roman pound of gold, the usual method of reckoning large sums, at forty pounds sterling; and we may fix the currency of the aiiretii at somewhat more than eleven shillings. u2