The Eastern Roman economy suffered less from the Barbarian raids that plagued the
Roman Empire. Under
Diocletian's reign, the
Eastern Roman Empire's annual revenue was at 2,400,000
solidi, out of a total of 18,000,000
solidi for the entire Roman Empire.
[1] These estimates can be compared to the AD 150 annual revenue of 14,500,000
solidi and the AD 215 of 22,000,000
solidi. By the end of
Marcian's reign, the annual revenue for the Eastern empire was 7,800,000
solidi, thus allowing him to amass about 100,000 pounds of gold or 7,200,000
solidi for the imperial treasury.
[1] Warren Treadgold estimates that during the period from Diocletian to Marcian, the Eastern Empire's population and agriculture declined a bit, but not much. Actually, the few preserved figures that the largest eastern cities grew somewhat between the third and fifth centuries.
[2] By Marcian's reign the Eastern Empire's difficulties seem to have been easing, and the population had probably begun growing for the first time in centuries.
[3]