Notes on Late Antiquity, early Christianity, and the Byzantine Empire

1. Marcus Aurelius

Roman Empire reaches its height and expands no further

2. Septimius Severus
• First African emperor of Rome
• LAST dynasty of Rome

LATE ANTIQUITY

3. Age of the Soldier Emperors - third century CE
• Emperors are generals and do not last long at all because of civil warfare
4. Diocletian - fundamentally alters the form of Roman government
• Gets rid of Principate and starts the Dominate - a very totalitarian style of government.
• Tetrarchy - rule by four. Two halves - the west and the east, two guys in charge of each.
5. Battle of the Milvian Bridge
• Constantine wins and becomes sole emperor of Rome
• Constantine saw a vision of the Christian cross on the day of the battle
• Has all his soldiers paint the Chi Ro on their shields
• He declares Christianity in Rome to be LEGAL
6. Constantine
• Moves the capitol of Rome from Italy to Constantinople (modern city of Istanbul)
• Roman Empire is forever altered
7. Rome is sacked in 476 by the Germanic tribes
8. Gibbon - Rome FALLS
9. Toynbee - Rome evolves into Europe

EARLY CHRISIANITY

10. It was illegal at first, and they had to meet in secret
• They did this in the Catacombs
11. It spreads around Greece and Rome itself and then it really takes over
12. Janius Bassus
13. Jesus is shown as a Sheppard in early Christian art
• They depicted him in a way that others wouldn't recognize because it was illegal
14. Fish imagery is used as a code

BYZANTINE EMPIRE

15. Christianity is becoming the standard religion of the Roman world
16. Justinian I - had his palace in Rowena, north of Rome
• He tries to merge the Church and the state together