Roman Empire corruption revealed by 1,500-year-old inscriptions

Archaeologists and researchers from the University of Warsaw have identified a 1,500-year-old stone inscription in Turkey that documents a judicial decision regarding corruption in the Roman Empire. While the fragments, dating back to 480 AD, were initially thought to be a funeral poem, digital analysis revealed they record a legal ruling against three individuals for tax fraud.

The inscription details fiscal abuses occurring on the properties of Placidia, the daughter of Emperor Valentinian III. According to lead researcher Paweł Nowakowski, tax collectors in the region were issuing payment certificates without specifying values or units of measurement, allowing them to pocket the difference between what was collected and what was declared.

The findings suggest that Roman authorities had been suspicious of these practices for 15 years prior to the decision. The document notes that the fraudsters faced death threats and the supervisor was warned of the potential loss of his possessions if the corruption was not resolved within three months.