One way to see it is that the Byzantine bureaucracy was remarkably effective for the balance of its history. It managed vast territories, cultures, and languages - not exactly a walk in the park. I think many downturns in later centuries were due much more to military defeats and economic strife than just bureaucratic inefficiency. Tho, for sure, the system was far from perfect.

People keep blaming the bureaucracy for the fall of Byzantium, but that's such a simplistic take. Sure, the bureaucracy had issues, but remember that there were constant external threats, like the Seljuk Turks and later the Ottomans. It's naive to pin an empire's collapse on just the administration.

The Byzantine bureaucracy was a reflection of its times and conditions. Like a living organism, it evolved with its environment, becoming complex as a response to the sophisticated challenges it faced. Was it a quagmire? At times, yes, but it also provided stability in a chaotic medieval landscape. The ultimate effectiveness of any system should perhaps be measured by its longevity, and in that sense, it was remarkably successful.

Red tape is the death of empires lol. Byzantines just couldn’t cut through it so they got cut down. Talk about death by paperwork.

Very interesting topic! I've done some reading and the Byzantine bureaucracy was certainly elaborate. You had provincial governors, central government officials, and various clerks all playing a part. Surprisingly, the system had the flexibility to survive for a millennium, but there were periods when it became quite burdensome.

For example, the pronoia system, a sort of Byzantine feudalism introduced in the 11th century, intended to simplify the state bureaucracy by granting land in exchange for military service. However, it potently gave way to a loss of revenue and eventually weakened the centralized power system.

Moreover, as the empire's territories shrunk, you'd think bureaucracy would scale down, but instead, it became a costly tangle, possibly contributing to Byzantium's decline. Empire-wide communication slowed, accountability waned and, when coupled with external pressures, it kinda makes sense that it would eventually contribute to their downfall.

idk but isn't overcomplicated gov systems always a recipe for disaster?

It's a complex issue, really. The Byzantine bureaucracy did evolve over centuries to handle a vast empire, with roles and offices becoming tailored to specific tasks and managing both military and civil sides. This sort of specialization could be seen as the foundation for what we consider a 'modern' state structure. Yet, the effectiveness varied across the empire's lifespan. Early on, this bureaucracy certainly contributed to the Byzantines’ resilience, imposing order and allowing for tax collection and defense. However, inefficiencies definitely crept in over time. There was a good deal of redundancy, and offices became hereditary, which could entrench incompetence. The need for checks and balances increased with corruption and political maneuvering, which often stifled swift action. I'd argue this rigidity contributed to their inability to adapt to new challenges in the later centuries.

the bureaucracy was really double edged I think. On one hand, it kept the empire running for so long, right? But on the other, it got so complicated that it slowed things down a bunch. Like, every little decision needed so many approvals.