Constantine the Great - ANS-Ruled from 306-337 whose eventful reign changed everything - bc
he was the first Roman emperor to be a Christian. His conversion had occurred on the eve of
the battle that would decide the civil war. A heavenly voice spoke to him in a dream and told him
to embrace Christianity and to paint the cross on his soldiers' shields before the next day's
battle. He did so and won, became sole emperor (was challenged by Maxentius for
power-sharing agreement)
Constnatinople - ANS-new name for Byzantium- capital of Roman empire- means city of
Constantine. The Byzantines regarded their eastern empire as a "new Rome" purged of its
pagan past and explicitly dedicated to creating a Christian realm. The new capital was formally
dedicated on May 11, 330. It was an urban, commercial, literate, and sophisticated world, newly
given an additional sense of unity and purpose by its now-rapid assumption of a Christian
character. The Byz. Empire wrapped around the eastern edges of the Mediterranean. The
government in Constantinople was able to retain centralized rule thanks to easy travel and
communication. Greek language.
Dark Ages - ANS-The time period of 300-700 in Western Europe - referred to as Late Antiquity
by scholars. For much of this time, w.Europe was a dark place filled with poverty, famine and
disease, nearly constant warfare, almost universal illiteracy, and a material standard of living
that is horrifying to consider.
Many of the institutional practices and cultural value of antiquity were still alive, if in beleaguered
and benighted form. For the Greek-speaking lands of the eastern Mediterranean, this was a
heroic age when the achievements of the ancient world were fortified by the rapid development
of Christianity. The Byzantine Empire achieved a level of wealth, power and cultural glory that
were never seen again in the Greater West.
Diocletian - ANS-A short period of relief appeared with the long reign of a stern, no nonsense
emperor named Diocletian (ruled from 284-305). He came from a long line of peasant farmers in
the Roman province of Dalmatia, had received only an elementary education but was raised
with a deep belief in the rightness of the empire, and had sought a career in the army. A talented
soldier, he rose quickly through the rans and was popular with the soldiers he commanded.
When Carus and Numerianus died (predecessors) died, the army overwhelmingly threw its
support behind him. He faced enormous problems: a wrecked economy, a restive army,
Germanic and Persian invasions, and a bloated, inefficient administration. His solutions:
withdrew Rome's currency from circulation and returned the empire to a barter economy, taxes
were collected in kind and imperial soldiers were paid in the same. He reformed the imperial
army into separate civil and military divisions - one force of "border troops". ***Seperated the
administrations into four units - instituting a tetrarchy.
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