4io Julian in Gaul 



alternative. Christianity might capture the empire and spread among 

 the barbarians, but it had no constructive solution for the problems of 

 imperial government. 



A remarkably plain-spoken passage 1 occurs in reference to the events 

 of 356, where he describes the administration of Julian in Gaul. By 

 his victories over the Germans he relieved the impoverished Gauls, but 

 this was by no means his only benefit. For instance, where he found 

 at his first coming a tax-unit 2 of 25 gold pieces demanded as the 

 tributum, at his departure (360) he left things so much improved that 

 seven of these sufficed to meet all dues. Great was the joy in Gaul 

 As a particular example of his thoughtful care, Ammianus cites his 

 policy in the matter of arrears of tribute. There were occasions, especially 

 in provinces liable to invasion, when it was certain that such arrears 

 could not be recovered in the ordinary course. It was not to the interest 

 of the central government to ruin or turn adrift farmers whose places 

 it would not be easy to fill. This consideration was no doubt used to 

 procure from emperors orders of remission, indulgentiae* as they were 

 called. Julian to the last would not give relief by thus waiving the 

 imperial rights. ' For he was aware 4 that the effect of that step would 

 be to put money into the pockets of the rich ; the universal practice, 

 as everyone knows, being for the poor to be made to pay up the due 

 amount in full directly the order of collection is issued, and allowed 

 no time of grace.' It seems then that it was not the amount of the 

 imperial taxation, but the iniquities perpetrated in connexion with its 

 collection, that were the real burden crushing the vitality of the 

 Provinces. So thought Julian, rightly: and in the next year we find him 

 firmly upholding his principles in the face of exceptional difficulties. 

 The emperor Constantius had felt compelled to make Julian Caesar, 

 and to place him at the head of the Western section of the empire. 

 But his jealousy and fear of the Caesar's winning glory in Gaul led 

 him to surround Julian with officers devoted to himself and secretly 

 encouraged to hamper their titular chief in every possible way. The 

 court of Constantius was a hotbed of intrigue and calumny. Private 

 reports of the doings of Julian were being regularly received. Any 

 reforms that he was able to make in Gaul had to be effected in the 

 teeth of imperial malignity. 



1 xvi 5 r 4 , 15. 



2 Seeck, Schatzungsordnung p 306, keeps the MS reading capitulis here. See his remarks, 

 and for the word capitulum cf cod Th xi 16 15 (382) capituli atque temonis necessitas, ibid 

 14 capitulariae sive , . .temonariae functionis . 



3 The title cod Th xi 28 is de indulgentiis debitorum. 



4 norat enim hoc facto se aliquid locupletibus additurum, cum constet ubique paupercs 

 inter ipsa indictorum exordia solvere universa sine laxamento conpelli. We shall return to 

 this point in connexion with Salvian. 



