SHIGAKU ZASSHI
Online ISSN : 2424-2616
Print ISSN : 0018-2478
ISSN-L : 0018-2478
The Development of the Angareia-Levy System in Relation to Villages in the Eastern Roman Provinces
Satoshi Urano
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1988 Volume 97 Issue 11 Pages 1789-1828,1937-

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Abstract

This article attempts to answer the following three questions on angareia, a requisitioned transport service which was indispensable for military provisions (annona) transport, but was very burdensome for provincials in the later Roman Empire. First, how did measures and practice of the angareia-levy develop during the first three centuries? Secondly, what kinds of necessity or intention of the imperial authority existed behind its development? Thirdly, eventually what kinds of burdens did the provincials (especially villagers) have to bear? The results of the author's investigation through inscriptions from the eastern Roman provinces are as follows. (1)As Sagalassos-Inscription (JRS 66, pp. 107f.) tells us, in the early principate (AD. 1C.), angareia was regarded as the service assessed roughly at the distance between stations (i.e. from one station to the next others), and levied on each central city which was responsible for its own station, en bloc. The central city magistrates levied a portion of the service on each city and village within its territory. Subsequently, in the 2C. in provincia armata (e.g. Moesia Inf, ; Dagis -SEG xix 476), in the 3C. even in provimia inermis (e.g. Asia ; Anossa & Antimacheia -JRS 46, pp.46f.), angareia came to be counted as munera possessionis, assessed strictly in proportion to the amount of land tax (or rent) payments and directly levied on villages. Village notables made arrangements for this service. Only by giving soldier-officials the minor authority of execution could the Empire build up this levy system at the village level. (2)The Empire urged the aforementioned process more and more as tension mounted on the eastern frontier and armies on the march there needed huge amounts of provisions. Because the Empire had to strengthen the angareia-levy system so as to transport annona to the army's station. (3)Not only did the increase in the quantity of transported provisions force provincials into a miserable condition ; but also both the introduction of soldier-officials and the existing subordination of villages to cities caused abuses of power and unauthorized angareia levies on villages. Villagers were on the verge of ruin. It was not until Emperor Leo converted the angareia service into money payments (adaeratio) in order to meet the expenses of public transport (cursus publicus) that these two problems were resolved.

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© 1988 The Historical Society of Japan
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