De fisco Barcinonensi facts for kids

De fisco Barcinonensi (pronounced "Day FIS-koh Bar-sin-oh-NEN-see") means "Concerning the Barcelona Treasury." It is an important letter from a group of bishops in the Visigothic Kingdom to the tax collectors in Barcelona. The letter reminds these officials about the correct amount of public tax. It also demands that they stop asking for more money than what was officially set.

This letter helps us understand how taxes were collected during the Visigothic period. It was sent to "accountants" (called numerarii), who were in charge of collecting taxes. These accountants were chosen for one-year terms by a local official called the "count of the patrimony" (comes patrimonii), who at that time was named Scipio, and also by the bishops (episcopi). The bishops' involvement in this process was "by custom," meaning it was a long-standing tradition.

What Was the Letter About?

The letter, De fisco Barcinonensi, is a key historical document. It tells us about the rules for collecting taxes in the Visigothic Kingdom. The bishops who signed it were concerned that tax collectors were asking for too much money from the people. They wanted to make sure that everyone paid only the fair and agreed-upon amount.

Why Was This Letter Written?

The bishops wrote this letter because they noticed that tax collectors were demanding more than the official tax rate. This was causing problems for the people. The letter was a way to protect the citizens and ensure fairness in tax collection. It shows that even in ancient times, there were rules to prevent unfair taxation.

Bishops and Tax Collection

The involvement of bishops in tax collection might seem unusual today. However, in the Visigothic Kingdom, bishops played a big role in society, not just in religious matters. A major meeting called the Third Council of Toledo in 589 made it official. This council said that bishops and tax agents should meet every year. Their goal was to make sure that tax dealings were fair to everyone.

Who Paid Taxes?

The taxes mentioned in the letter were likely paid by most of the people in the province who owned property. This tax money went to the royal treasury, which was like the king's bank account. Some historians believe this tax might have been a leftover from when the Visigoths first conquered the land. At that time, one-third of the land's value (through land taxes) went to the king, and the rest went to his followers.

What Was the Tax Rate?

In the 590s, the tax rate in Barcelona was fourteen siliquae for each modius of barley.

• A siliqua was a small unit of weight, often used for coins.
• A modius was a unit of measurement for dry goods, like grain.
• Fourteen siliquae was equal to about 7/12 of a solidus, which was a valuable gold coin.

It's hard to say exactly what percentage of a person's income this tax was. This is because we don't know the exact value of a modius at that time. It probably represented a certain amount of land that could produce barley. However, the tax rate was similar to what people paid under the Roman Empire.

Location and Importance

The letter is preserved after the records of the Second Council of Barcelona (540 AD). However, most of the bishops who signed it were also present at the First Council of Zaragoza in 592 AD. This suggests the letter was written around the time of the 592 council.

The fact that Barcelona was a center for tax administration might explain why it survived the Islamic conquest better than Tarragona, which was the provincial capital. Barcelona's role in managing money may have given it more importance and stability.

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