Who were the curials? What role did they play in the late empire?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer is Answer would ideally include the following. The curials were the social elites in the cities and towns of the empire. During the late empire, men of the curial class were required to serve as city council members without salary, and to use their own money to pay for community expenses, including the water supply and the feeding of troops. Even more onerous was their responsibility to compensate for shortfalls in tax collection out of their own pockets, especially at a time when the emperors demanded ever-increasing revenue. These oppressive regulations depleted the number of individuals willing to act as community officials, as curials did whatever they could to avoid public service, even if it meant abandoning home and property to flee their town.

Who Were the Curials? What Role Did They Play in the Late