The Crisis of the Third Century and Rebound of the 300s

1. The Crisis of the Third CenturyandRebound of the 300s

2. Overview • Causation for the decline of the Empire • Over-extension of imperial boundaries • Systemic Economic Weaknesses • Weaknesses in the Political Structure • Decline of the Imperial cult and traditional Roman Religion • Rebound: the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine

3. Attempts to Ascertain the Causation for the Decline of Rome • Some of the “causes” identified (210 at last count) • climatic changes • over-reliance on slavery • otherworldliness of Christianity • sexual orgies • ecological habits • lead poisoning • homosexuality • None of these attracts consensus of serious historians

4. Systemic Economic Weaknesses • Huge military budget: 500,000 troops • High taxation • Absence of public debt • Structural trade deficit with the Far East • Debasement of coinage • Rampant inflation • Economy of plunder (booty) • slaves • gold, silver • feeding the war machine

5. Demographic Collapse • Constant Civil War during the early 200s • Famine - crops destroyed or taken • Plague - weakened immune systems • decline of trade • Depopulation • especially in the western empire • undermines urban basis of imperial rule • weakened trade networks • Downward Spiral • despair

6. Weakening Political Structure • ambiguous succession procedures • political influence of the army • the barracks emperors • murder as a form of political advancement • weakening of the imperial cult • shorter reigns • worthless coinage • competing claims • civil war

7. A Shift in Attitudes c. 250 CE • Challenges to Perception of Roman Invincibility and Destiny • Incursions by • Franks • Alemani • Goths • Parthians • Declining interest in Roman gods • Declining prestige of Roman legions

8. Political Reforms of Diocletian (285-305) • Division of Empire into East and West • tetrarchy: planned succession • paves the way for the Byzantine Empire • temporarily restores order to the West • smaller administrative units to reduce power of governors and army commanders • Restoration and elevation of imperial cult • imperial title of dominus (lord) • emperor treated as divine • genuflection & prostration • imperial costume: purple robes, diadems • seclusion of the emperor

9. The Principate:Emperor Augustus c. 10 BCE

10. NeroEmperor (54-68)last of the Julio Claudians

11. Domitian and VespasianThe Flavian rulers of the late first century

12. Tacitus

13. Marcus AureliusEmperor (161-180 CE) and Stoic Philosopher

14. St. Augustinec. 400

15. Nicolo Machiavellic. 1500

16. Edward Gibbonc. 1776

18. Tetrarchy

20. Coins from Diocletian’s Reign

22. Constantine the Greatruled 306-337

23. The Chi Rho Symbol

24. St. Helena in the Vatican

26. Imperial Coins from 4th Century CE

27. Economic “Reforms” of Diocletian(285-305) • taxes paid in kind to diminish effects of inflation on imperial coffers • the wealthy evaded taxes altogether through loopholes to garner their support • currency stabilization • wage and price controls • creation of black market economy • hereditary occupations • tax farmers and others necessarily passed their occupation on to their sons

28. Constantine (306-337) • Mother was Christian • Grew up in the court of Diocletian and experienced the persecution of Christians firsthand • The “conversion” of Constantine c. 311 • the battle of Milvian Bridge • “By this sign, you shall conquer” • Edict of Milan (313): Christianity becomes legal in the Empire • only received baptism by Arian priest on his deathbed in 337 • Gains control of western Empire 313 and Eastern half by 324

29. Reforms of Constantine (306-337) • Encourages Christianity • the emperor becomes God’s best friend • official persecution of Christians ends • Church authorized to enforce morality • Church exempt from taxation and the recipient of imperial favors • Imperial court relocated to Constantinople (325) • Council of Nicaea (325) • orthodoxy defined - Nicaean Creed • rejection of Arianism • affirmation of Church and episcopal hierarchy

30. Christianity in the Fourth Century • From persecution to state religion • Constantine initiates the transformation • Church adopts Roman judicial and administrative structure; a state within the state • 325 the Council of Nicaea • The Nicean Crede • Persecuton of Heresy • Gradual elimination of pagan temples • Rome becomes more of a religious than political focal point • Theodosious adopts Christianity as the imperial religion c. 390 • by late 300s, persecution of pagans

31. Summary • The Roman Empire operated on an economy of plunder; it required plunder in order to generate wealth for the elite • Consequently the Romans continued to expand the Empire, despite the warning from Augustus • By the Late 2nd century the cost of maintaining the imperial borders had exceeded the Romans’ ability to support such a massive military • Increasingly the Romans relied on barbarian mercenaries and others to defend the empire

32. Summary • A series of violent and incompetent Emperors in the late second century triggered a downward spiral of civil war that lasted for approximately 70 years • These civil wars disrupted the economic, demographic, and cultural foundations of the Empire • Shaken by the increasing instability, many Romans found comfort in the teachings of the Christians • Diocletian restored imperial order and persecuted Christians • Constantine continued the consolidation of power and embraced Christianity