collapse of the roman empire

D. The wages lagged behind the prices. At this low point the cost of a loaf of bread reached 4,350 solidus which was approximately fifty per cent of their wage .
             The most significant blow to the economy happened when the manorial system began to surface. When the taxes became too high the peasants turned to the landowner in their city and worked for them. The landowner would have a group of, what they were later named colonus. The colonus would work the land and give a portion of the profit to the landlord. They eventually became like their slaves, they got profit out of the land but they were the property of the landlord, they could not leave. The growth in power of these landlords concerned the Emperors so they attempted to make them a part of the state. The landlords did not want to become part of the state. So in 368 A.D the government made it illegal for independent peasants to go to the landlords. The owners banded together and raised armies of their slaves to fight against the law. This weakened the authority and defense of the Empire. The Empire gave into the landlords and ultimately got rid of the law. .
             By the end of the 4th century the Empire was divided into 2 distinct classes:.
             The Honestoires consisted of the Emperor, priests, landlords, officials, civil servants and some big families. The Humiliores consisted of everyone else. The groups had different functions, privileges, rights, punishments and incomes. This made the Empire very unstable and set a perfect environment for an invasion.
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             The Roman military was once the most organized and skilled army in all of history. It consisted of over 200,000 soldiers who had to train for 25 years with low pay and in hard conditions. The organization and training was the reason why the army won so many wars its been said, "a small force, highly trained, is more likely to win battles than a raw untrained horde. " In the end this once magnificent machine diminished to nothing more than an unorganized group of people with absolutely no fighting skill, which gave them no protection from the barbarians.