1. 284 – 476 Diocletian to Romulus Augustulus
Late Roman Empire
284 – 476
Diocletian to Romulus Augustulus

2. Crisis and Reform
Rome in 2nd-3rd centuries: a period of remarkable instability
Military and government corruption
Financial mismanagement
Social unrest and rebellion

3. Late Roman Empire Reign of Diocletian (284-305) Diocletian Reforms:
- division of Empire, East (Byzantium) and West
(Rome). Split of Empire accompanied by an increase in
administrative and bureaucratic inefficiency
- tetrarchy (four prefectures)
- division into diocese [GK: dioíkèsis:
housekeeping; cf. economy: oikos
nomos]
- Great Persecution of Christians Christianity, though
tolerated since 1st century, is now viewed with suspicion, and
believed to be weakening the empire.

4. Constantine Emperor in Rome from 306
Ruled both east and west between 324 and 337
Edict of Milan, 313, ends Christian persecution
conversion to Christianity
Founding of “Constantinople” in 330
Founded in eastern capital of Byzantium
Admiration for culture and wealth of east
Growing disinterest in Rome and the west

5. Early Christian debate
Debate within Christianity on the relationship between Jesus and God. The followers of Arius maintained that Jesus’s nature was similar to the divine (but not identical). This means that they didn’t believe that Jesus was in fact divine. The followers of Athanasius argued that the natures of God and Jesus were identical. To resolve this dispute, Constantine issued the Nicene Creed, which supported Athanasius.

6. Factors Contributing to the decline of Rome
Enormous bureaucracy (in west and east) and general corruption
Non-Roman armies loyal to generals
Financial chaos; inflation; unstable tax base
Infrastructure decaying; interest and attention shifting to Constantinople
Rise of Christianity
Germanic invasions

7. Literary Culture
“Fathers of the Church”: chiefly responsible for early notions of the Church, the mass, theology
Ambrose: trained in Greco-Roman classics; opposed the Arian heresy; developed liturgy & hymns
Jerome: translation of the Bible into Latin (from Greek and Hebrews)
Augustine: theology, orthodoxy
City of God (De Civitate Dei)

8. Constantine

9. Diocletian

10. St. Augustine

11. Roman mosaics

12. Roman mosaics