Late Antiquity: The Age of New Boundaries, 250-600 The West CHAPTER 6

The Breakdown of Imperial Government Chronic civil war and political turmoil between 233 and 284 C.E. Invasions in both eastern and western provinces Economic collapse and administrative breakdown Political decentralization, as power shifted to provincial capitals

Reformation under Diocletian, 284-305 C.E. Tetrarchy - the empire was divided in two, each half with a senior and junior emperor Heightened the symbolic power of the emperor Separated administrative and military bureaucracies, in provinces New tax system to pay for larger government

The Unintended Consequences of Reform Increasing social inequality Shift in power from urban élites to imperial bureaucracy led to deterioration of urban life Acceleration of decentralization and fragmentation Political and economic power shifted decisively to the eastern half of the empire

Constantine: The First Christian Emperor Constantine (r. 306-337) became sole emperor abandoning tetrarchy Retained separate eastern and western administrations Conversion to Christianity led to eventual Christianization of entire empire Built city of Constantinople - came to symbolize the link between empire and Christianity

The Spread of Christianity Christian community evolved into a formal organization, with an administration and hierarchy modeled on imperial system The Petrine Succession - by mid-fifth century, the bishop of Rome achieved preeminence Christianity transformed the physical appearance and spiritual life of cities Increasing intolerance of non-Christian religions - polytheistic worship banned in 391

Christian Doctrine and Heresy Demarcation, by the Church, between orthodox and heretical thought Dispute between Arians and Athanasians over the nature of the Trinity and the nature of Jesus Christ Nicene Creed (325) - stated Jesus was identical in nature and essence to God Council of Chalcedon (451) - declared Jesus was both human and divine

Communities of Faith and Language Chalcedonian (Orthodox or Catholic) - North Africa, Balkans, Italy, Gaul Monopysite - Armenian church and kingdom, Coptic church in Egypt, Syriac church in Syria Arian - Germanic settlers in western Empire Latin was the language of Christianity, in the west Greek was the language of Christianity, in the east

The Monastic Movement Egyptian ascetic movement challenged the wealth and hierarchy of the Church Monastic communities: Pachomius (ca. 292-346) wrote instructions to regulate communal, ascetic life Monasticism offered women an opportunity for independence from male world, but also reinforced negative perceptions of women in Christian thought

Jews in a Christian World Advance of Christianity led to legal discrimination against Jews Abolition of Jewish Patriarchate, 429 B.C.E., spelled the end of Jewish status as an official ethnic community within the empire Rabbinic Judaism legitimized the subordination of women, in Jewish communities

Access to Holiness: Christian Pilgrimage Competition for relics of saints and martyrs Palestine became the spiritual focus of the Christian world and a principal pilgrimage destination Pilgrimage fostered a sense of Christian community between people of many lands Development of a “spiritual geography”

Christian Intellectual Life After 312, the Church began to reconcile Christian and classical thought Monasteries were instrumental in the preservation and transmission of classical learning Neoplatonic thought reinforced Christian asceticism and ideas about the soul Disconnection of human destiny from the fate of the Roman Empire, in historical thought

The Fall of Rome’s Western Provinces Lacking the military capacity to repel Germanic invaders, the western government offered them land within the empire Germanic settlers consolidated and strengthened over several generations Gradually, these settlements became independent kingdoms

The End of Roman Rule in the Western Empire Germanic settlers were numerically inferior, but militarily superior - they retained a distinct identity Loyalty and allegiance to local kings superseded service to empire Development of new warrior aristocracies, with personal ties to local king

The Birth of Byzantium: Christianity and Law The emperor Justinian defined the imperial role in explicitly Christian terms Enforced uniformity of Roman law and orthodox Christianity, by force Constantinople became the political and spiritual center of a monotheistic empire, united under one God, one emperor and one law

Conflicts to the West and East Justinian’s attempts to re-conquer the western provinces overextended Byzantium’s resources Resentment of Justinian’s doctrinal interference fueled divisions between Christian churches in the east and west Intermittent and persistent warfare with the Persian Empire

A Transformed World Division of Europe into two culturally, politically and linguistically separate regions Emergence of Christianity as a defining characteristic of Western civilization