Quote Originally Posted by Plug Drugs
The collapse of central governing authority in the West meant that regional authorities were left to govern their various areas - most often military commanders, the strongest of whom were also immigrant barbarian federate kings. With no more central bureaucracy, Roman cities shrank or disappeared entirely and society reverted to a more "natural" rural agricultural base. Wealth was measured in land rather than money. There was also little role for learned civilian administrators outside of the church, so the landholding aristocracy focused on military service to maintain their status. The kings, in turn, tended to reward these loyal warriors with land.
even though the person who wrote this is most likely a retard, you do realize this supports my point and not yours right