Rosa Crespo
Per. 5
Rome
Late Classical Period
The late classical period was a period of change; many of its empires were declining,
mainly because of invasions, but some things are not easy to change and stayed for a long time.
Rome was not the exception; in fact Rome lost the western part of the empire. Even though
Rome remained imperialize and patriarchal, these changes influenced the acceptance of
Christianity in Rome.
During 100 CE – 600 CE many political changes occurred in Rome. Around the year 250
CE Pax Romana, a time period that started during Augustus rein marked by peace and
intellectual advances, was over. This was due to the conflicts that bring an expanding empire,
such as the burnable position the border are so far from the capital, plus the struggle governing it.
Also between 235 – 284 CE there were over twenty – six men claiming to be the rightful
emperor, so called “Barracks Emperors”. This empire had gowned too big to govern, so Emperor
Diocletian (284 – 305 CE) decided to divide the empire into two districts, eastern and western.
Diocletian placed one coemperor and one powerful lieutenant in each district, these four officers
came to be known as tetrarchs. Though this governing method did not last long, when his son,
Constantine (313 – 337 CE), came to power he reunited the empire. By the second century CE
many Germanic people starting setting down in the northern border of Rome, and then pushed by
the Huns, Germanic tribes went into Rome. After settling, mostly western part, it was easy to
invade Rome, city, and by the fifth century Rome had lost the western part of the empire.
Though eastern Rome survives for another millennium, it would never be what it once was.
Christianity was once thought to be dangerous to the Roman government, because the
Roman Emperor feared to be over toughen by the Jewish King. Well, during this time Christians
became an important part of roman society. Constantine allowed Christians to practice their
religion, this was because Constantine believed that the Christian God had touched him and
claimed that he had helped him prevail over his rivals, but it was not until 380 CE that
Christianity became the official religion of Rome. In the early centuries, Christianity attracted
mostly modest people; this due to the fact that Christianity was a religion of salvation and it
brought hope to poor people, although, as it grew popular, wealthy people started to convert.
Christianity was very diverse throughout the empire, some Christians claimed Jesus divinity
while others his human nature. So people had many councils, council of Chalcedon 451CE, to
get the story straight. Also people built a standardized faith, in which Christian leaders instituted
a hierarchy of church officials. Christianity became very big influence in political and military
affairs.
Though politically the Roman Empire changes a lot, much of their social traditions stayed
the same. Christianity keep spreading just like it did before, trying to get more people to
Christians. The empire was still patriarchal; men ran the family and government as well as
wealth people, because this was the only way people knew how to govern at the time. Though
the western part of the empire fall, Roman imperial rule kept going in the eastern empire for
another minimum. Constantine had to make a chose to protect the western or eastern, and since
he saw more wealth in the eastern so he moved the capital to Constantine to protect the eastern
part of the empire.
Rome had a gradual declined caused by the important changes. These changes caused a
major social adjustment for the people. Although this changes transformed the whole empire, but
the Romans still kept their traditions and identity, such their form of government and way of life.