The Colas c28.20

c28.20

Some idea of the economic condition of the different classes of labourers may be had by a review of the data on wages and prices yielded by the inscriptions.⁴⁸ No general statement on the standard of life of the people is possible; much less can we now trace the changes in the standards and tastes of the population. The sources of our information are not sufficiently copious or precise to allow of such attempts being made with success. The permanent staff of village servants and others in the enjoyment of hereditary service-holdings are, of course, not included in the discussion which follows. So also the serfs and slaves are excluded.