#324

[dailylagomorphs]

20/11/2023

[dailyscug]

[kirbydaily]

[tmsource]

I thought the plane was going down, how'd you turn it right around?

[one-bunny-a-day]

20/11/2023

[whencyclopedia]

Government and Taxes under Diocletian and Constantine

The state created by Diocletian and Constantine used to be described as despotic and oppressive, extracting higher taxes and threatening its subjects with punishments for non-compliance. Recent research, however, paints a different picture. The government strove to be responsive to the needs of its subjects, fair in the allocation of taxes, and to hold its official accountable for their misdeeds.

Government in the Eastern Roman Empire

The government of the new empire has often been characterized as a totalitarian and theocratic dictatorship that suppressed the civic culture of the ancient world, eroded political freedom, and subordinated its subjects to a corrupt plutocracy and the intrigues of court eunuchs who encircled a quasi-divine monarch. Diocletian (r. 284-305) was allegedly the first to adopt a despotic style, adorning his robes and footwear with gems, requiring prostration, and being hailed as dominus, "lord." Constantine I (r. 306-337) extended the scope of capital punishment and threatened malefactors with the amputation of limbs or pouring molten lead down their throats. This image of oriental despotism was promoted by the thinkers of the Enlightenment, but its persuasive power has now waned. It was a rhetorical construct that served the needs of the 18th century, but it fails as a description of the reformed Roman government.

The new administration had to be more efficient at extracting revenue in order to pay for its own overhead – the salaries of new officials – as well as supply a large army. A hostile observer groused that there were more employees in Diocletian's government than there were taxpayers. While exaggerated, this complaint captured the unprecedented scale of the new empire's intrusion into local society. Imperial bureaucracy on such a scale was massive by ancient standards. According to one estimate, the number of the central state's salaried officials rose from fewer than 1,000 to 35,000 or more. For a population of around 45 million, this is a low ratio by modern standards. Yet many of those officials were aided by attendants and slaves who did much of the actual work but did not show up on the books. The army and Church had their own managers, accountants, lawyers, and staff. Also, the imperial state was assisted locally by the apparatus of city governments, that is the city councilors and their agents and slaves. Finally, we should not use modern standards to assess how effective this bureaucracy was at surveilling and regimenting the population, as the latter was relatively immobile and economically undiversified compared to its modern counterparts.

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[wilhelm--fink]

[every-kuzu]

[jttwconfessions]

Confession Wave: Nezha (4/9)

God I simp so hard for the main immortals in LMK like BRO SWK, Macaque, Chang'e, AND NEZHA Ik it's "controversial" simping for Nezha since there's so much misinformation that he's eternally 12, but he's so pretty and handsome and his VA was literally born for that role and portrays him so well TvT

[yours-trudy]

Don't worry. Trudy's a professional squirrel handler.

[opulenceps]

{.psd 324: Give Me a Hug} by opulenceps  //  • download •

That’s made by me, what means… don’t copy dude. You can change the layers if you want to. I’m not taking requests, cause I like to keep my creativity and do what I want to do. I do not reproduce any effect. Like or share if you download it. (before/after)

The pictures used to made the previews are not made by me and had no intention to violate copyright rules. I pick up pictures in public sites, if there’s any picture on the preview that belongs to you and it’s been shared without your consent, please contact me.

[akutagawa-daily]

Akutagawa daily 324/★

[dailyzawa]

nov 21

guest art by @headfrst thank you for your beautiful picture of el wiwi

[tmsource]

TMSOURCE 1.5k FOLLOWERS EVENT - Top 5 Favorite Mentalist Episodes 4th Place: Strawberries and Cream: Part 2 (3.24) | 39.3% of 107 answers

[melancholicwriteaholic]

Legend of Welp! #324

Ganondorf: These accusations are unfounded! I have treated you as nothing less than the most valued nemesis I've ever despised!

Zelda, stuck in a gem: Sure sure. We'll find out if that is true once Link gets here.

Ganondorf: I protest your suspiscions! They're ridiculous! They're-!

*Suddenly, to Ganondorf's shock, Link barges into the room*

Link: Ganondorf! It's time to slay you and free Zelda, Hyrule, and all the world from your tyranny-!

Zelda: Link, dear, would you be so kind as to look at me with your Lens of Truth?

Link: Er... Right now? Okay then...

*Link takes out the lens of truth and scans the imprisoned Princess Zelda as ganondorf desperate mouths "no no don't" while waving his arms around trying to silently get Link's attention.

Link's eyes widen, he sweats nervously. He takes a look at Ganondorf, too late realizing what's happening. Uh oh...*

Zelda: Well?

Link: It's... it's...

Ganondorf: No no no no no don't say it don't tell her-!

Link: . . . Cubic Zirconia.

Zelda: I KNEW IT!

Ganondorf: Princess, please I can explain!

Zelda: I thought our enmity was special you frugal brute!

*Link awkwardly backs toward the exit*

Link: Um... you two seem like you need to sort some stuff out... I'll... I'll just come back later.

[pikabean]

324 :D