The Importance of Tributes to the Moslems

i feel inclined to cut irene a bit of slack for that. She proved herself more than capable of being an imperial leader, battling her enemies in the balkans and on the moslem front with a reasonable share of success. But time and again in history, i certainly believe that tribute payments are often unnecessarily portrayed as shameful,. When actually we often see them as a diplomatic choice that enables an empire or a kingdom to re negotiate its own international position by buying time for itself.