Editing Majorian (section)

===Fiscal policy and coinage===
[[File:Tremissis - Visigoti per Maggioriano - RIC X 3747-9.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Tremissis]] minted by a Visigothic king in the name of Majorian. These coins were minted in [[Arelate]] between 457 and 507 and showed the corrupted  name <span style="font-variant:small-caps">iviivs haiorianvs</span>. Even if their style was close to the Roman originals, Visigothic coins contained less precious metal; it was probably for this reason that Majorian issued a law obliging the tax collectors to accept golden coins at their nominal value, with the exception of the "Gallic" coin, of lesser value.<ref>''Novella Maioriani'' 7.14, 6 November 458, cited in Mathisen.</ref>]]

Majorian understood that he could reign effectively only with the support of the senatorial aristocracy, whom he wanted to return to its pristine political prominence. At the same time, he planned to reduce the abuses perpetrated by the senators, many of whom cultivated their local interests disregarding the imperial policies, even refusing to pay taxes and keeping for themselves the taxes they had exacted. This fiscal evasion had a cascade effect that affected the small landowners, the citizens and the local civil magistrates.<ref name="mathisen" />

For example, the [[Decurion (administrative)|decurions]] had to personally compensate the imperial treasury for all taxes not exacted. Sometimes, oppressed by the debts accumulated in this way, the decurions abandoned their status, a problem which was previously addressed by Emperor [[Julian (emperor)|Julian]] (361–363). Majorian also cancelled tax arrears, knowing that fiscal policy could not be effective if taxpayers had to pay large accumulated arrears.<ref name="mathisen" />

On 11 March 458, Majorian issued a law entitled ''De indulgentiis reliquorum'', "On the Remission of Past-Due Accounts" (''Novella Maioriani'' 2). This law remitted all the tax arrears of the landowners. This same law explicitly prohibited public administrators, who had a record of keeping the collected money for themselves, from collecting taxes. This task was to be reserved to the governors alone. Another law issued to reorganise the tax system was issued on 4 September of the same year, and was entitled ''De bonis caducis sive proscriptorum'', "On Abandoned Property and That of Proscribed Persons" (''Novella Maioriani'' 5): the ''[[comes]] privatae largitionis'' Ennodius was to admonish the provincial judges against defrauding the imperial treasure by keeping for themselves a part of the money collected.<ref name="mathisen" />

[[File:Medaglione contorniato di maiorano con fantino.JPG|thumb|[[Contorniate]] depicting emperor Majorian]]
The Emperor was also interested in repairing the backbone of the imperial administration. On 8 May 458, Majorian issued a law entitled ''De defensoribus civitatum'', "The Defenders of the Municipalities" (''Novella Maioriani'' 3), to re-establish the office of the {{Ill|Defensor civitatis|es|4=fr}}. This city magistrate represented the interests of the citizens in trials against the public administration, particularly in fiscal matters; this magistracy was still in existence, but actually ineffective, since it was often held by the same officials who cheated the population.<ref name="mathisen" />

Another law was issued on 6 November to strengthen the magistracy of the [[Decurion (administrative)|decurion]]s. ''De curialibus et de agnatione vel distractione praediorum et de ceteris negotiis'', "Decurions, Their Children and The Sale of Their Landed Estates" (''Novella Maioriani'' 7), was issued to forgive past abuses perpetrated by the decurions. This forbade them from leaving their status (going into hiding or marrying slave or tenant farmers) or alienating their own properties.<ref name="mathisen" />

Majorian minted coins in [[gold]], [[silver]] and [[bronze]]. Gold coinage was minted in great quantities. On these coins the Emperor is depicted, with few exceptions, with a [[combat helmet]], a spear, a shield, and a [[chi-rho]], looking towards the right; this typology was derived from a rare type minted in [[Ravenna]] for [[Honorius (emperor)|Honorius]] and used in great quantities only by Majorian, it was dropped by his successors. The first series of [[Solidus (coin)|solidi]] were probably minted in Ravenna, and bear on the obverse the joint portrait of Majorian and [[Leo I (emperor)|Leo I]], thus celebrating the mutual recognition of the two Roman emperors. The [[Mint (coin)|mints]] of Ravenna and [[Milan]] issued both solidi and [[tremissis|tremisses]] from the beginning of Majorian's reign.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name=vagi>Vagi, David, ''Coinage and history of the Roman Empire, c. 82 B.C.–A.D. 480'', Taylor & Francis, {{ISBN|1-57958-316-4}}, p. 567.</ref>

No series of [[semissis|semisses]] are attested for these two mints, probably because the semisses were typically minted by the mint of [[Rome]] and this mint was not active under Majorian, who never visited the ancient capital of his Empire during his four years of rule. The minting of solidi is attested for the mint of [[Arelate]] in 458, a fact compatible with the presence of Majorian in Gaul in that year. This mint was again active in 460, when the Emperor returned from his campaign in Hispania. The [[Visigoths]] minted some reproductions of his solidi, modelled after the issues of the [[Arelate]] mint: as Arelate issued only solidi, the Visigoths used those designs also for the tremissis.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="vagi"/>

Silver coinage was issued almost exclusively by the Gallic mints; it has been suggested that these series were not issued by Majorian, but by [[Aegidius]] after the Emperor's death, to mark the fact that he did not recognize his successor, [[Libius Severus]]. Majorian also produced great quantities of [[nummus|nummi]] of great weight, mostly minted at Ravenna and Milan, and some [[contorniate]]s, mostly in Rome, but probably also in Ravenna.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name=vagi />