In order to summon the motivation to resume the laborious and unenviable task of mastering the founding principles of Latin grammar, I decided to read about the Roman Empire today (which overlaps with my current archæological assignment). I discovered some startling things along the course of this voyage through history; most especially to do with mediæval history. Fascinating.
This is just one of the few similarities betwixt mediæval history and ancient history:“...this vast internal trade network broke down. The widespread civil unrest made it no longer safe for merchants to travel as they once had, and the financial crisis that struck made exchange very difficult with the debased currency. This produced profound changes that, in many ways, would foreshadow the very decentralized economic character of the coming Middle Ages. ... they began to manufacture many goods locally, often on their own estates, thus beginning the self-sufficient "house economy" that would become commonplace in later centuries, reaching its final form in the Middle Ages' manorialism. ... a half-free class of Roman citizen known as coloni. They were tied to the land, and in later Imperial law their status was made hereditary. This provided an early model for serfdom, the origins of medieval feudal society and of the medieval peasantry.” - wikipedia, Crisis of the Third Century in the Roman Empire.
Now all I have to do is summon the will to study Latin. Easier said than done.
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