VI. In process of time, however, the resources of the people, in the principal provinces of the empire, and especially those to the north of the Mediterranean, declined to such a degree, that though the military and naval establishments of the empire were reduced to a third of their former amount, and became inadequate to defend its frontiers against its enemies, the direct taxes required to be continually increased, till they became so oppressive as to destroy industry, and prove the immediate cause of the depopulation and ruin of the empire. Such are the _facts_, as established by the unanimous and concurring testimony of all the best informed historians; and now for the causes which produced these facts. They are set forth and supported by an equally clear and undisputable array of authorities. * * * * * Even so early as the latter days of the Republic, the system was introduced of feeding the Roman people with grain derived by tribute from the provinces. In the time of Augustus, the annual quantity distributed to the poorer citizens of Rome was 1,200,000 _modii_, or 35,156 quarters. But _Tiberius went a step further, and actually gave bounties on the importation of foreign grain_. "An enormous quantity," says Finlay, "of grain was distributed in this way, which was received as tribute from the provinces. Cæsar found 320,000 persons receiving this gratuity. It is true he reduced the number to one-half. The greater part of this grain was drawn from Sicily, Africa, and Egypt. In the time of Alexander, generally 75,000 _modii_ was distributed daily. This distribution enabled the poor to live in idleness, and was itself extremely injurious to industry; but another arrangement was adopted by the Roman government, which rendered the _cultivation of land around Rome unprofitable to the proprietors_. A large sum was annually employed by the state _in purchasing grain in the provinces_, and in transporting this supply to Rome, where it was _sold at a fixed price to the bakers_. Augustus appointed an officer, styled _Prefectus Annonæ_, whose duty was to provide by government purchases for the subsistence of the people. An allowance was also made _to the private importers of grain_, in order to ensure a constant supply.[51] In this way, a very large sum was expended _to keep grain cheap in a city_ where a variety of circumstances tended to make it dear. This singular system of annihilating capital, _and ruining agriculture and industry_, was so deeply rooted in the Roman administration, that similar gratuitous distributions of grain were established at Antioch and Alexandria, and introduced into Constantinople when that city became the capital of the empire."[52]