Salvian and how morality plays a role in strengthening our societies
“Is it possible that you are still seeking games, when your graves are already dug? … The Roman world is dying, and yet it laughs. We are in the very jaws of death, and we are playing.”
– Salvian
“We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
-CS Lewis in the Abolition of Man
You can tell a lot about a society by the values that they claim to uphold. These values permeate myths, stories, and the laws that govern. These values are also a measuring stick for observers to determine whether or not the society is justified in its success or destined for failure. In the later Roman Empire no figure better served as a barometer to Roman morality than Salvian.
We will spend some time understanding his critiques of late Roman morality. His perspective was unique. It provides a vivid, bottom-up perspective on the structural rot of late Rome—such as the rise of the Bagaudae (peasant rebels) and the severe social inequality that made the empire indefensible. He was considered the “Jeremiah” of this time and his critiques of the decadence of his time can be used as a point of comparison with our day.
Calling out the hypocrisies of Rome
Salvian strongly believed that the Western Empire’s imminent collapse was not a failure of divine protection, but a direct consequence of its profound moral bankruptcy. In his eyes, the nominal Christianity of the Roman populace was a hollow facade masking rampant corruption, greed, and debauchery. He famously contrasted the behavior of his fellow citizens with that of the invading Germanic tribes; while the “barbarians” were pagans or heretics, Salvian asserted they possessed a natural virtue, loyalty, and chastity that shamed the Empire.
He was particularly horrified by the psychological denial of the Roman elites, who continued to obsess over blood-soaked gladiatorial games and theater even as their cities faced siege, writing bitterly that the Roman world was laughing while it died. He fiercely condemned local officials and tax collectors (curiales) as internal tyrants who engineered tax policies to protect their own fortunes while driving widows, orphans, and the poor into destitution.
Lerins Abbey, where Salvian studied
This institutionalized cruelty completely severed the bond between the state and its subjects. Salvian documented the ultimate indictment of Roman civilization: that the oppression of the imperial administration had become so intolerable that thousands of ordinary Roman citizens actively chose to flee imperial territory, preferring to live in dignity under barbarian rule than suffer “barbarous inhumanity” under the guise of Roman justice.
I wonder if Salvian was familiar with the great tale of Marcus Curtius who selflessly offered himself as a sacrifice to satisfy the demands of Hades after the earthquake of 382BC or the willingness of Cincinnatus to return to the plough after his great victories. These stories captured traditional Roman virtues that were likely close to extinct in his era. He must have bristled that there were very few leaders who lived up to these once common Roman virtues.
We can conclude this section with a couple of quotes that might resonate with a modern audience.
“They [the rich] alone are exempt from the tax, but they alone have the right to impose it. They make decrees that the poor must pay, while they themselves refuse to bear any part of the burden. The wealth of the few is bought by the destruction of the many.” — Book V, 7
“The Roman world is dying, and yet it laughs… We are being crushed by the judgment of Heaven, and yet we do not feel our misery. Our houses are burning, our fields are being devastated, our cities are falling, and we are still looking for games. In the very jaws of death, the Roman people are laughing.” — Book VI, 12
Modern day hypocrites?
One can only wonder what Salvian would think if he was placed in America today. Relative to the rest of the Western World, we (The United States) are among the most religious and Christianity is still the predominant belief. But how would he react if he were placed in one of the stadium seats on a Sunday morning to be solicited by Kenneth Copeland or Joel Osteen?
To help us with this exercise let’s first list the core principles that Salvian championed. Using this book De gubernatione Dei as our primary source we can conclude that these are the things that were closest to his heart.
- Hand of God- Active involvement of a divine source in the affairs of man
- Moral action- Faith without works doesn’t cut it, we need to practice Christianity
- Hatred of greed- Specifically how the wealthy focused only on themselves to the detriment of everyone else
- Universal human dignity- We are all children of God and have basic human rights
- Simplicity- A life free of unnecessary distraction and material possession
He might feel similarly to how he felt in 5th century Rome. I’d bet he would be reminded of Matthew 15:8 and its searing message “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” We speak of Jesus but do our actions really reflect his Gospel? You could argue that they don’t and they are manifest in some of these modern corruptions:
- Churches that exploit their non-profit status and are run more like profit driven businesses than true charities. Take a look at the work offered by these guys to get a sense of what I mean.
- Politicians and other figures using the name of Christ to justify actions (war, division,corruption) that so clearly contradict the teachings found within his Gospel.
- A disintegration of the civic institutions (Church, bowling leagues, Rotary club, etc.) that once bound our communities together. Read this book to get a sense of what has happened and how it impacts society.
- Identity politics and a demonization by these groups towards those who don’t agree with their positions.
- A mindset where profit is the ultimate measure of worth and humility is considered weakness.
I could keep adding to the list but you get the point. While there is still good in the world it seems like it is being snuffed out by forces driven by greed and power. Yes, this has been the case since the beginning of time but advances in technology seem to enhance their nefarious efforts while also convincing a growing number of people that these forces are more powerful than the divine.
Now western Rome was already sufficiently weakened by many forces well beyond moral deficiencies by the time Salvian rolled around. Many of these contributing factors have already been discussed in previous posts. But he was right in that there is a real loss when a society abandons the values that it once held. America is at a crossroads and hopefully we can strike a balance between preserving our core values while still working towards smoothing out the rough edges found in our imperfections.
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