Diocletian and Constantine attempted to solve, not only the political and social problems of Rome, but also fundamental economic problems as well. Bruce Bartlett argues that the two did exactly the wrong thing. Please read Bartlett's article How Excessive Government Killed Rome. Do you think Bartlett's criticisms accurate? Why, or why not?
Monday, October 6, 2025
Constantine and his economic policies (extra credit)
Diocletian and Constantine attempted to solve, not only the political and social problems of Rome, but also fundamental economic problems as well. Bruce Bartlett argues that the two did exactly the wrong thing. Please read Bartlett's article How Excessive Government Killed Rome. Do you think Bartlett's criticisms accurate? Why, or why not?
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The thing about this article being written so recently to the modern day is that it has the blessing of hindsight.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, he covers many things, so he has a higher chance at being right about things.
We find it very easy to say nowadays that Romans should have done X, Y, and Z if they so badly wanted to continue the success of Rome, but we say this because we know what happened not just to Rome, but to the countries surrounding it.
That is another advantage we have - technology.
Romans had more time-consuming methods of sending a message and receiving news, while we have instantaneous means of communication. We know *now* that this or that delayed the troops that would have saved a given battle, but *they* did not.
The short of it is that he will, of course, have many credible arguments because he can look back at the options they did not take. He has more context and information available to him.
However, I also have to admit that the discussion of economics is confusing to me, so I did not read the entire thing. But I felt that my point, even without completely reading it, was sufficient as an argument.