Practice question · Multiple choice
The transformation between the sixth and eighth centuries saw the empire abandon Latin and monetised provincial armies in favour of Greek and rural theme settlements. What does this profound structural shift reveal about the nature of imperial survival after the Arab conquests?
Hints
- Did retaining a Roman identity require the state to keep all ancient administrative methods intact?
- What enabled the state to maintain its frontiers despite losing wealthy, monetised provinces?
Show the answer
D. Continuity depended on radical administrative adaptation
Why
Equating survival with inertia overlooks how institutional durability demanded drastic reorganisation. The transition to themes and local agrarian upkeep was a pragmatic retrenchment, not an ideological rejection of Rome or a retreat into sectarian harmony.
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