Roman tax scandal revealed through 5th-century inscriptions

Archaeologists have uncovered new details regarding a 5th-century tax scandal in the ancient Roman city of Stratonicea. Analysis of newly discovered fragments of a legal inscription by researchers Paweł Nowakowski and Mustafa Adak reveals a fraud scheme that lasted over 15 years.

According to the documents, officials responsible for collecting taxes enriched themselves by reporting lower revenue amounts to authorities and pocketing the difference. The inscription is an edict from the Praetorian Prefect of the East, Flavius Illus Pusaeus Dionysius. Upon discovering the corruption, the Prefect dispatched a special envoy from Constantinople to investigate. The documents indicate that those involved in the fraud were ultimately sentenced to death.