The Struggle

The Roman Empire Struggles…

In the Third Century AD:

·         Epidemic disease spreads throughout the Empire

-          Many people lived in close corners

-          Too many people, unsanitary, pouring waste into the streets

·         It’s hard to defend the frontier against the barbarians

·         Emperors began to lose their hold on power

-          Stay in power for an average of two and a half years, due to wars or assassination

·         Maintaining armies is expensive

·         Still too many poverty-stricken citizens

284 AD – Diocletian’s reforms:

·         Increase the size of the army to 4000,000

-          1/3 bigger than during Augustus’’ time

-          Recruit from the ranks of the barbarians

·         Divide Roman territories into smaller provinces

-          This new gov’t had 20,000 officials – ten times more than under Augustus

-          They were more efficient at collecting higher taxes – this greater yield provided for a larger army

300 AD:

·         60 million people in the Roman empire

·         Several million are Christians

·         Christianity has quite an appeal to the poor and disenfranchised – and there are plenty of those!

·         More Christians – more face-to-face contacts –more conversations – more offspring

·         Some Christians are even gaining positions of power, became the ruling elite

To persecute or not to persecute

·         Diocletian (ruled from 284 – 305) left Christians alone at first

·         Then he undertook the most systematic persecution of all*

·         Constantine ruled as emperor 306 – 337

·         What was his connection with Christianity?*

·         And how did he restructure the empire?*

How did Diocletian persecute the Christians?

Diocletian ordered Christian churches to be burned and to have its treasures taken. He also ordered for all Christian scriptures and books to be destroyed, he made Christians potential subjects for judicial torture. Christian senators, equestrians, Decurion, veterans, and soldiers were devoid of their spot in the government and imperial freedmen were re-enslaved.

What is Constantine’s connection to Christianity?

Constantine’s mother was a Christian so he either adopted the religion when he was young or gradually throughout his life. He was not baptized until shortly before his death. Constantine’s conversion to Christian was huge, because Rome’s emperor before him persecuted Christians.

How did Constantine restructure the empire?

- Made it easier for the empire to respond to invasion

- Built defense strategic location, w/ forum, palaces, amphitheater, churches

-  gave grants to Christian leaders, symbolizing Christianity's growing role

-  Public baths, Arch of Constantine, first to build churches, first basilica to Saint Peter