1. And the end of the Classical Age
East And west
And the end of the Classical Age

2. Internal Decay of the Han State
Court intrigue
Problem of land distribution
Large landholders develop private armies
Epidemics – small pox/measles in 161CE
Famine – “Little Ice Age”
Peasant rebellions
184 CE Yellow Turban Rebellion

3. Collapse of the Han Dynasty
Generals assume authority, reduce Emperor to puppet figure
Alliance with landowners
200 CE Han Dynasty abolished, replaced by 3 kingdoms
Immigration of northern nomads increases
China after the Han Dynasty, 220 CE

4. Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples
Sinicization – (also sinification) social and cultural changes to a Chinese way of life
Nomads adapted to the Chinese environment
Agriculture
Trade
Adoption of Chinese names, dress, intermarriage

5. Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism
Disintegration of political order casts doubt on Confucian doctrines
Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity
Religions of salvation

6. Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal Factors
The Barracks Emperors
claimants to the throne, all but one killed in power struggles
Epidemics – small pox/measles CE (Antonine Plague)
Famine – “Little Ice Age”
Loss of imperial tax revenues
Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of local and regional self- sufficient economies
Inflation
Overuse of slavery
Increase in Christianity

7. Diocletian (r CE)
Divided empire into two administrative districts
Power/resources start shift to eastern side
Co-Emperors, dual Lieutenants
“Tetrarchs”
Currency, budget reform to save empire
Relative stability disappears after Diocletian's death, civil war follows
Constantine emerges victorious

8. Fall of the Roman Empire: External Factors
Massive migration of Germanic peoples into Roman Empire (nomadic tribes shift to better climates during Little Ice Age)
Visigoths, influenced by Roman law, Christianity
Formerly buffer states for Roman Empire
Attacked by Huns under Attila in 5th c. CE
Sacked Rome in 410 CE, established Germanic emperor in 476 CE
Germanic invasions and the fall of the western Roman Empire, CE

9. Christianity Grows in the Roman Empire
312CE “Constantine’s Vision” before Battle of Milvian Bridge
Converts to Christianity
Promulgates (promotes) Edict of Milan - allows legal Christian practice
380CE Emperor Theodosius proclaims Christianity official religion of Roman Empire

10. St. Augustine (354-430 CE) Hippo, North Africa
Experimented with Greek thought, Manichaeism
387 converts to Christianity
Major theologian who establishes foundation for unified Christian ideology

11. The Institutional Church
Conflicts over doctrine and practice in early Church (will escalate though Periods 3&4)
Divinity of Jesus
Role of women
Actively sought to include/convert women
Monastic communities
Church hierarchy established
Patriarchs, Bishop of Rome primus inter pares

12. SUMMARY: Han Rome Confucian court intrigues Barracks emperors
Weakened government
Confucian court intrigues
Barracks emperors
Land distribution
Wang Mang, followed by civil war and private armies
Gracchi brothers, followed by civil war and private armies
Environmental challenges
Little Ice Age leads to famine
Epidemics
Small pox
Invasion of nomadic people
Xiongnu
Germanic tribes
Economic factors
Loss of trade revenue, military spending
Inflation, loss of trade revenue, heavy reliance on slave labor; military spending
Rise of peaceful religions
Daoism, Buddhism
Christianity
Split
Three Kingdoms
Two empires