Civilization moves to the West...

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Civilization moves to the West...

• The Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity

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Ancient Trade Routes between Europe and Asia
1st Century CE
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Timeline

• 8th century - 4th century BCE (700s-300s)
  Hellenic Era of Greek Civilization (rise of the
  Greek city states, e.g., Athens, Sparta)
• 4th Century - 30 BCE Hellenistic Era of Greek
  Civilization Alexanders reign
• 6th Century BCE - 31BCE Era of the Roman
  Republic

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Ancient Greece
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Ancient Rome, 218 BCE
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Expansion of Rome
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Timeline, cont.

• 31 BCE to about 476 CE Era of the Roman Empire
  Octavian became Augustus Caesar and initiated the
  Pax Romana
• Palestine or Ancient Israel had lost its
  political independence around 586 BCE. Palestine
  and the Jews came under control of the Romans at
  the time of the birth of Christ (CE 4).
• http//www.centuryone.com/rmnwrd.html and
  http//www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/first
  euro/roman.html for maps.

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Jewish Diaspora
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Timeline, cont

• The Christian religion spread within the Roman
  Empire, faced persecution from time to time.
• Managing the Empire was administratively
  difficult Diocletian split the empire in the
  late 3rd century to try to develop efficiency.

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The Spread of Christianity
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Roman Empire, 2d Century, CE
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Timeline, cont.

• Emperor Constantine recognized Christianity (313
  AD), and the Christian church modeled itself on
  the organizational structure of the empire.
• Fifth Century (400s) Empire was attacked by
  barbarians and Rome collapsed in 476.

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Rome Divided
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Germanic Invasions
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Significance for our purposes...

• The center of civilization shifted to Rome and
  the Mediterranean and social practices, economic
  activity, knowledge were drawn into Rome and
  radiated from Rome to provinces and frontiers.
  
• Roman world before Constantine was pagan, i.e.,
  polytheistic, and embodied a variety of religions
  among the many peoples it ruled.

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Significance.

• Society continued to be organized into nobility
  (in Rome patricians), freemen of lesser wealth
  (plebeians), and slaves (captured in warfare).

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Types of Households in Rome

• Population of Roman Empire at peak
• Total 70-100 million people
• City of Rome 500-700,000
• Provinces 75 of Total
• Latifundia large scale plantations farmed by
  gang slave labor
• Freehold farms farmed by retired legionnaires,
  or freemen.

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Types of Households...

• Rome settled colonies at its frontiers, and thus
  incorporated foreigners into the state.
• The paterfamilias owned his wife, children,
  slaves and could dispose of them at will.

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The Challenge of Christianity and the Barbarians

• Christianity articulated a different moral and
  spiritual vision including ideals of humility,
  charity, ecumenicism and brotherly love do unto
  others as you would have others do unto you and
  the hope of a Second Coming.
• The barbarian tribes of Europe and Asia presented
  military threats to the Empire.