It's shocking in a timeless sense. If I built a time machine, and traveled to the 1st century AD, and asked a random farmer in some random place on Earth how he felt about giving 50% of what he produced to the state, his reaction wouldn't differ much from a person alive today. That the French (or other Europeans) are acclimatized to nearly 50% of their country's GDP being taxed, doesn't really say much. Fact is, 50% is incredibly high -- even a little child would agree.
A farmer in the 1st century? They’re likely slaves or serfs, so I’d wager they’re giving 100% of what they make away, and to their master, not to the state. They’d be shocked at how much they would be allowed to keep.
“In 332 AD Emperor Constantine issued legislation that greatly restricted the rights of the coloni and tied them to the land. Some see these laws as the beginning of medieval serfdom in Europe.” [1]
Define absurd and shocking. Is it shocking to an American with a seemingly lower tax rate or to a European who has to pay these taxes every month?