How Military Monarchy was Dissolved

We have considered:

• how the dissolution of small states was brought about, and
• what form of government succeeded them,
• how an imperial government was introduced into conquering republics, and
• what kind of administration this was.

How was this military monarchy was dissolved?

Rome’s arts and commerce improved under their imperial government.

• This made them less fond of going out to war.
• The government found that it would hurt its revenue to call out those employed in manufactures.

If barbarous nations were near, they can employ them as soldiers at an easier rate.

• At the same time, it would not hurt their own industry.
• And so the Romans recruited their armies in Germany, Britain, and the northern barbarous countries which bordered on the Roman Empire.
  • They recruited in those countries in the same way that the Dutch did in Scotland before the beginning of the last war1.

After this practice was established, they would find it easier to=

• make a bargain with the barbarous chieftains who worked for them and
• give him so much money to lead out men to expeditions.

The barbarous chieftain thus possessed the whole military authority.

• Whenever the Romans offended him, he could turn his arms against those Romans

All the western provinces were taken possession of much in this way.

The Romans built a wall and kept garrisons to secure their province from the pillagers of the north*. But these were called away to defend Gaul, which at that time was also infested.

The Britons became free from the Roman yoke when they invited Hengist and Hursa and their considerable army to drive away the Romans1. This led to the Saxon Heptarchy and ended Rome’s military monarchy

In the last 150 years of the Roman Empire, this custom of recruiting in barbarous nations was continued.

In the same way, all the Asiatic governments were dissolved. Their soldiers were hired from Tartary, arts and manufactures were carried on, the people made more by their trades than by going to war.

The East India trade which Italy and some other nations carried on by the Red Sea had rendered them very opulent. Every nation as well as Rome was willing to make a bargain with the neighbouring barbarous princes to defend them. This destroyed their government.