▁of ▁medieval ▁ser fs . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁AD , ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁faced ▁a ▁labour ▁short age . ▁ ▁Lar ge ▁Roman ▁land own ers ▁increasing ly ▁re lied ▁on ▁Roman ▁fre emen , ▁acting ▁as ▁ten ant ▁far mers , ▁( inst ead ▁of ▁on ▁slaves ) ▁to ▁provide ▁labour . ▁ ▁The ▁status ▁of ▁these ▁ten ant ▁far mers , ▁eventually ▁known ▁as ▁col oni , ▁stead ily ▁er oded . ▁▁ ▁Because ▁the ▁tax ▁system ▁implemented ▁by ▁Dioc let ian ▁( re igned ▁ 2 8 4 - 3 0 5 ) ▁ ▁ass essed ▁tax es ▁based ▁both ▁on ▁land ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁that ▁land , ▁it ▁became ▁administr atively ▁incon ven ient ▁for ▁pe as ants ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁land ▁where ▁the ▁census ▁counted ▁them . ▁In ▁ 3 3 2 ▁AD ▁Emperor ▁Const antine ▁issued ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁greatly ▁restricted ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁the ▁col oni ▁and ▁tied ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁land . ▁ ▁Some ▁see ▁these ▁laws ▁as ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁medieval ▁ser f dom ▁in ▁Europe . ▁ ▁However , ▁medieval ▁ser f dom ▁really ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁break up ▁of ▁the ▁Carol ing ian ▁Empire ▁around ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁dem ise ▁of ▁this ▁emp ire , ▁which ▁had ▁ruled ▁much ▁of ▁western ▁Europe ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 0 ▁years , ▁us her ed ▁in ▁a ▁long ▁period ▁during ▁which ▁no ▁strong ▁central ▁government ▁existed ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁Europe . ▁During