two different one page essay
The Roman Empire Legacy to the Medieval World
Ancient Italy
City of Rome
Roman Republic
Expansion of Rome during the Republican Period
Roman Roads, Italian Peninsula
Roman Roads
Roman Aqueducts, Segovia, Spain
Nimes, France
Augustus, 63 BC – 14 CE
First Roman Emperor, Founder of the Roman Empire, ruled from 27 BCE until his death in 14 CE.
Cultural Features of the Roman World
Panen et Circenses (Bread and Circuses)
Roman Theater in North Africa
Coliseum of Rome
The Crisis of the Third Century
Succession Crisis
Size
Army
External Threats
Inflation
Diocletian’s Reorganization of 293
16
The Persistence of Polytheism
To a limited degree, polytheism and Christianity influenced each other. But people disagreed about the relationship of divinity or divinities to the human world. Polytheists found aspects of Christian belief troubling. Specifically, Christ’s crucifixion seemed a symptom of weakness, the Christian embrace of sinners was troubling, and the Christian claim to universality and truth seemed unjustified. Yet, Polytheism remained deeply held by many and the path to acceptance, legalization was difficult.
Diocletian’s Great Persecution and the Conversion of Constantine
Believing that Rome’s problems were caused by the gods’ anger at the Christians who rejected them, Diocletian launched the Great Persecution in 303 C.E. in an effort to please the gods. Unevenly applied by the tetrarchs, the persecution involved a purge of Christian officials, confiscated property, the destruction of churches, and gruesome executions. Social stability was damaged, but Christianity was not destroyed and the persecutions aroused sympathy for Christians among some Roman polytheists. The Great Persecution ended dramatically when Diocletian’s successor Constantine attributed his success in a battle in 312 C.E. to the Christian God and converted to Christianity.
Emperor Constantine’s Conversion
Edict of Milan
Despite his conversion, Constantine did not outlaw polytheism or make Christianity the official religion. While personally promoting Christianity, in the Edict of Milan in 313 he decreed religious freedom for all faiths. Constantine attempted to find middle ground between polytheism and Christianity by supporting both. He returned Christian property seized under the Great Persecution and compensated polytheists who had bought the confiscated property. Constantine also continued to hold the traditional office of Pontifex Maximus (“chief priest”) to honor his non-Christian subjects, who still greatly outnumbered Christians.
Making Christianity Official
After Constantine, there were sporadic attempts to eradicate the gains made by Christianity. But they were not successful.
In 391 Theodosius I made Christianity the state religion by enforcing a ban on polytheist sacrifices. Pagan temples were often converted into churches, and Christians received advantages in official careers.
Jews and determined polytheists became second-class citizens.
Spot Map, The Empire’s East/West Division, 395
22
The Roman Empire and the Barbarians, 284 AD
Roman Empire and the Barbarians
Peoples and Kingdoms of the Roman World, 526
25