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Chrysargyron

The term Chrysargyron originates from the Greek words for silver (αργυρος), and gold (χρυσος) and can also be termed as collation lustralis, or chrysargyrum. Chrysargyron dates back to 325 in the Eastern Roman Empire where it was a form of an ostracized tax levied after every four years on both the rich and the poor, freemen, slaves, pets and all kinds of animals and basically people of all stations and all classes of life. Chrysargyron was collected in the first 170 years of the Eastern Roman Empire and the main mode of payment for the tax was in form of silver or gold. Chrysargyron was mainly a tax levied on business and trades and it thus affected craftsmen, merchants, traders, and sometimes even money lenders.

History of Chrysargyron

According to Zosimus, an early Byzantine writer, this kind of tax was first initiated during the reign of Constantine. However, there is evidence that the tax existed even during Caligula’s reign and the reign of Severus Alexander, decades earlier before the reign of Constatine. A religious historian by the name Evagrius argues that when Constatine came to power, the tax had already gained roots in the Eastern Empire, hence the ruler was looking for viable ways to abolish it.

As mentioned, the tax was originally paid in silver and gold after every five years but as time progressed to 370, it was only payable in form of gold. Towards 400 is when the tax started being collected after every 4 years and in other areas it was collected on a monthly basis by indiction. Each of the Eastern Roman Empire cities selected their representatives who would collect Chrysargyron from the community and then forward the collections to the sacre largitiones.


It’s believed that the tax had very negative impact in the community as everything was accumulated and collected as a lump sum after the four years. Parents were sometimes forced to sell their children into prostitution and/or slavery to be able to pay the tax. By the end of 498, Anastasius I managed to abolish Chrysargyron throughout the Eastern Roman Empire. However, in the Italian Peninsula, the tax went on for a while after it was abolished by Anastasius. Italian Peninsula was by then governed by Ostrogoths. This went on until Belusarius managed to conquer them.

Once the tax was brought to an end, cities like Mesopotamia and Edessa no longer had to part with 1400 pounds of gold every four years. Note that although the tax was initially meant to be collected after every four years, there is every indication that it was collected in monthly installments. The community celebrated the end of this tax by weeklong festivities and the then Emperor, Anastasius made up for the lost source of revenue by putting in place income generated from certain estates into a separate special fund.

Chrysargyron was said to be a very much hated tax by the community and it was clear that the original form of taxation couldn’t have supported the city and all its amenities.

Tags: Income, money, revenue, tax, Taxation

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