Diocletian's reforms, enacted to stabilize the Roman Empire after the Crisis of the Third Century (c. 284–305 AD), did indeed include measures that heavily restricted the freedom of movement for large segments of the population. To secure tax revenue, maintain food production, and stabilize the workforce, the state enforced policies that tied people to their land and occupations
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Key reforms that restricted migration and mobility included:
Tying Peasants to the Land (Coloni): Due to economic necessity and labor shortages, many free farmers (coloni) and tenants were legally tied to the land they worked. They were forbidden from leaving their farms to seek better conditions elsewhere, acting as a precursor to medieval serfdom.
Hereditary Occupations: In cities, to prevent the collapse of essential services and production, the government made professions hereditary. Sons were forced to follow their fathers' trades, preventing them from moving or changing jobs.
Binding Local Officials (Curiales): Local city council members (curiales) were restricted from abandoning their positions, which they often sought to do to avoid the financial burden of tax collection.
Conscription and Tax Reforms: New tax policies required payments in goods, services, and labor rather than just money. To ensure these could be produced, the state limited the movement of workers.
Rationale for the Changes
These restrictive measures were not designed to be punitive, but rather to ensure economic stability and the continued, steady production of food and goods. The Empire was suffering from a labor shortage, economic depression, and high inflation.