Emperor (Pontifex Maximus)

Senators

Knights

Decurians or Counselors

Freedmen/Slaves/Provincial Admin./Soldiers

Working Class

Honestiores (Senators/Knights/Decurians)

Humiliories (Freedman/Slaves/Soldiers/Working Class)

Political, military and tech. benefits.

"Civilization"

Cultural Aspects

Access to Roman Infrastructure

Rule of Law

Free Inhabitants of Roman Citizenship

Rural Economy--Urban Population

Movement of Migratory Peoples

Cracks in the Pax 2

Invading Tribes

Barracks Emperors (235-285)

Inflation

High Taxes

Diocletian (284-305)

*Adopts Dominus--more power for Emperor

Followed by Constantine (306-337)

Moves Capital to Constantinople--First Openly Christian Emperor

Emergence of Sacraments

Emerging identity of Clergy

Developments of Ranks

Collective Monotheism (roots in Mystery Cults) fills spiritual void that Roman culture could not.

Christian values preserve Roman law.

*Constantine's Conversion at Battle of Milvian Bridge (312...wins because of God)

*Edict of Milan (313)--official toleration of Christianity

*Counsel of Nicea (325)- identification of heresies

*Thedosious I (378-395)--makes Christianity official faith of Roman Empire.

*St. Ambrose (340-97)--fought Theodosious over autonomy of Church

*St. Jerome (345-420)--Wrote the Vulgate Bible (Latin Trans.)

*St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)--City of God

*Julian--battles with Augustine over Sexuality

*Constantinople (330)

*Germanic Migrations--Comitatus (tribal communities)--Wergeld (man worth)

*Formed larger groups to defend themselves

Foriegn Presences in 4th Century

Petitions Valens to enter empire in 376,

 Battle of Adrianople-378

Theodosious makes them Federati

Divides between Arcadius (395-408) in East and Honorious (395-423) in West

Stilicho and Alaric

*Honorious' General (d.408) who battles Alaric (370-410) and Visigoths and gives them control of Balkins in 407 and pulls troops from Rhine to Italy to support Italy.

*killed by Honorious while Alaric starves and sacks (410) Rome.

*As result of Honorious killing Stilicho, army allies with Alaric

*After Sack, wandering and settlement of Germanic peoples.

434-53.

*Pushes West and Fights Battle of Chalon (451) with Gen. Aetius

*Loses and retreats to Italy where he is convinced by Leo not to sack Rome.

*Damasus I (r.366-384) declares himself High Bishop on strength of St. Peter

*Siricius (r.384-399)--declares himself first Pope

*Fights at Chalons (451)

*Executed by Valentinian III (454)

*Valentinian III killed by Aetius' supporters

*Vandals sack Rome in 455 

Begin after second sack in 456-476

Last one (Romulus Augustus deposed in 476 by Odovacer)

Clovis (481-511)

*Conquests starting in Austrasia (conquers most of Gaul)

*Kingdom named Francia or Frankreich

*Secures rule through Conversion of Catholicism and Codification of Salian Law which preserves Roman class structure

Zeno (r.474-491) sends Theodoric the Ostrogoth (r.493-526) to take Italy from Odovacer

*Fakes meeting with Odovacer and kills him

*Theodoric is a Balkin Goth--King of Italy for 30 Years

Justinian (527-565) puts down Nika Riots (532)

*Codification of Roman Law

*Hagia Sofia

*Conquests of North Africa, Southern Spain (533), Italy and Sicily (by 535)--Known as Gothic Wars--fighting Theodoric

*Transitional Figure---rapid expansion at high cost

*Strong Army, heavy cavalry

*Gov't structured so Emperors have more control over nobility than in West. Empire

*Control of public political opinions

*Countryside dominated by large estates and colonies

*Production controlled by state

Post-Justinian Invasions

*Avars and Slavs- Balkins and Bulgaria

*Wars with Persia- Shah Khusro I (r.531-79); Sack of Antioch (540)

*Heraclius (r.610-41) military reforms--beats Persians and gives land to soldiers

*Rise of Islam- 630's

*Byzantium's waning connection with West- Greek main language.