Standards of living for the "average" person before and after the fall of the Roman Empire?

by chaosakita

I heard that most people wouldn't have really noticed a change in the standard of living before and after the fall of the Roman Empire. Is this true? I'm interested in answers that deal with people living in any of the areas the Roman Empire was in around 300-400 CE.

ChiefOfTheCharles

Before I tackle this one, and I intend to tomorrow, what are you defining as the fall of the Roman Empire? The FAQ has some great discussions on the topic, and this one may actually be exactly what you want. Are you speaking of 476 CE?