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Territories:
Worldwide.
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Production year:
2024
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Language(s):
German, English, French
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Rights:
TV, DVD, NON-THEATRICAL, INTERNET, VOD
By the 6th century, the disintegration of the Roman Empire was complete: there was no more state, no more big cities. Europeans were forced and coerced into becoming peasants. That is when European peasantry was born.
A new scale began to emerge. The great Roman commercial agriculture was gone. These first peasants, freed from the State's control, taxes and the obligation to feed the Empire's major cities, produced only what they needed. Peasant communities were freer than ever.
This "golden age" came to an end in the 8th century. The new warrior elites brought back domination, taxes, they invented forced labor and imposed serfdom. The Church took part in reconquering the countryside, tracking down the old rural practices. Pagan and peasant are both from the same root: paganus, which means "country dweller".