Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 6 (1897).djvu/91

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 71 than of their dependence. The freemen of Laconia assumed the character of Romans, and long adhered to the rehgion of the Greeks. By the zeal of the emperor Basil, they were baptized in the faith of Christ ; but the altars of Venus and Neptune had been crowned by these rustic votaries five hundred years after they were proscribed in the Roman world. In the theme of cities and J 1 11111 revenue of Peloponnesus ^^ forty cities were still numbered, and the declin- Peioponnesns ing state of Sparta, Argos, and Corinth may be suspended in the tenth century, at an equal distance, perhaps, between their antique splendour and their present desolation. The duty of military service, either in person or by substitute, was imposed on the lands or benefices of the province ; a sum of five pieces of gold was assessed on each of the substantial tenants ; and the same capitation was shared among several heads of inferior value. On the proclamation of an Italian war, the Peloponnesians excused themselves by a voluntary oblation of one hundred pounds of gold (four thousand pounds sterling) and a thousand horses with their arms and trappings. The churches and monasteries fur- nished their contingent ; a sacrilegious profit was extorted from the sale of ecclesiastical honours ; and the indigent bishop of Leucadia ^^ was made responsible for a pension of one hundred pieces of gold.^^ But the wealth of the province, and the trust of the revenue, Manufac- were founded on the fair and plentiful produce of trade and espedauy of silk manufactures ; and some symptoms of liberal policy may be traced in a law which exempts from all personal taxes the mari- ners of Peloponnesus and the workmen in parchment and purple. This denomination may be fairly applied or extended to the manufactures of linen, woollen, and more especially of silk : the two former of which had flourished in Greece since the days of Homer ; and the last was introduced perhaps as earl}' as the reign of Justinian. These arts, which were exei'cised at Corinth, Thebes, and Argos, afforded food and occupation to a numerous people ; the men, women and children were distri- buted according to their age and strength ; and, if many of ^'' Constantin. de Administrando Imperio, 1. ii. c. 50, 51,52. ^^ The rock of Leucate was the southern promontory of his island and diocese. Had he been the exclusive guardian of the Lover's Leap, so well known to the readers of Ov-id (Epist. Sappho) and the Spectator, he might have been the richest prelate of the Greek church. !"•* Leucatensis mihi juravit episcopus, quotannis ecclesiam suani debere Nice- phoro aureos centum persolvere, similiter ct ceteras plus minusve secundum vires suas (Liutprand in Legat. p. 4S9 [c. 63]),