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Book No. – 48 (History)
Book Name – Western Civilisation: Their History and Their Culture (Edward Mcnall)
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1. THE REORGANIZED EMPIRE
2. THE EMERGENCE AND TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY
3. THE NEW CONTOURS OF CHRISTIANITY
4. THE GERMANIC INVASIONS AND THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE WEST
5. THE SHAPING OF WESTERN CHRISTIAN THOUGHT
6. EASTERN ROME AND THE WEST
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Christianity and the Transformation of the Roman World
Chapter – 8
Table of Contents
- The Roman Empire declined after 180 A.D., but it did not collapse entirely.
- In 284 A.D., Emperor Diocletian reorganized the empire, giving it a new lease on life.
- Throughout the 4th century, the Roman state continued to dominate the Mediterranean.
- In the 5th century, the western half of the empire fell to invading Germans, but Roman institutions were not completely destroyed.
- By the 6th century, the eastern half of the empire managed to reconquer parts of the western Mediterranean coastline.
- In the 7th century, it became clear that the Roman Empire’s survival depended on consolidating power in the East, marking the end of antiquity.
- Historians once underestimated the longevity of Roman institutions, starting medieval history discussions in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th century.
- Historical periodization depends on the historian’s focus, and the transition from the ancient to medieval world was gradual.
- The period from 284 to 610 A.D. is now seen as the age of late antiquity, distinct from both Roman and medieval periods.
- A major cultural trend during late antiquity was the spread and triumph of Christianity throughout the Roman world.
- Initially, Christianity was one of many otherworldly beliefs, but in the 4th century, it became the official Roman state religion.
- Christianity played a central role in shaping the West.
- The Roman Empire was declining during this time, mainly due to a contraction in urban life, which had supported the empire.
- Urban contraction was most significant in the northwest of Europe, where city civilization was less established and far from the Mediterranean’s trade and communication networks.
- Parts of the West, closer to the Mediterranean, also experienced urban contraction because western cities were more dependent on declining agricultural production, unlike the East, which relied more on trade and luxury goods.
- This shift in civilization and imperial authority moved from the West to the East over time.
- The German invasions of the 5th century helped mark a new chapter in Western political history, but their immediate impact was limited.
- Even with the influx of Germans, Roman institutions continued to decline gradually.
- In Mediterranean regions, Roman city life continued, albeit with declining vigor, until the Mediterranean was no longer considered a Roman lake.