Page:The age of Justinian and Theodora (Volume 2).djvu/100

This page needs to be proofread.

through a district, not only were the soldiers quartered on the inhabitants, who for the time being were expelled from their proper dwellings, but contributions for the support of the troops were levied under every sort of false pretence, even by persons who had no authority whatever to collect funds for the commissariat.^[1] To all this was added the constant oppression by the local magnates of their weaker neighbours, whose lands they seized, advertising by notices fixed to the ground that they assumed them as their own property.^[2] At the same time the owners were claimed as serfs, bound for the future in service to an overlord.^[3] In the main these proceedings were quite arbitrary, and differed in no way from professed brigandage, but as a rule they were conducted under the shadow of legality by giving them the form of distraints or evictions in respect of money lent.^[4] Attended by a numerous body of armed retainers the wealthy landowners made a descent on the coveted homestead, plundered the household, drove off the cattle, and abducted wives and daughters for the purpose of concubinage.^[5] But not in all cases without resistance being*

↑ Nov. cxxx; cf. cxxviii; Procopius, Anecd., 23, 30; Jn. Lydus, loc. cit., 61.
↑ Cod., II, xiv, xv, xvi; Nov. xvii, 15, etc.
↑ Cod., XI, liii; Nov. xvii, 13, 14, etc.; see p. 202.
↑ Nov. xxxii; xxxiii; xxxiv. "On account of the avarice of creditors who abuse the poverty of the times (535) and acquire the allotments of the unfortunate peasants, retaining all their property in return for a little sustenance, we enacted," etc. This (Nov. xxxiii) is addressed to the Praetorian Praefect of Illyricum, an official seldom heard of, who seems to have been almost destitute of political influence as compared with his potent colleague of the East.
↑ "We are almost ashamed to refer to the conduct of these. Men of great possessions, with what insolence they range the country; how they are served by guards, so that an intolerable crowd of men follow them; how daringly they pillage everybody, among whom are many

[1] Nov. cxxx; cf. cxxviii; Procopius, Anecd., 23, 30; Jn. Lydus, loc. cit., 61.

[2] Cod., II, xiv, xv, xvi; Nov. xvii, 15, etc.

[3] Cod., XI, liii; Nov. xvii, 13, 14, etc.; see p. 202.

[4] Nov. xxxii; xxxiii; xxxiv. "On account of the avarice of creditors who abuse the poverty of the times (535) and acquire the allotments of the unfortunate peasants, retaining all their property in return for a little sustenance, we enacted," etc. This (Nov. xxxiii) is addressed to the Praetorian Praefect of Illyricum, an official seldom heard of, who seems to have been almost destitute of political influence as compared with his potent colleague of the East.

[5] "We are almost ashamed to refer to the conduct of these. Men of great possessions, with what insolence they range the country; how they are served by guards, so that an intolerable crowd of men follow them; how daringly they pillage everybody, among whom are many

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]