Christianity and Transformation of the Roman World: Chapter 8

I. a. What were the reforms of Diocletian?
b. What were they intended to accomplish?

II. a. What were Constantine's reforms?
b. Bow did they differ from Diocletian's?
c. What was meant by "Oriental Monarchy. or "Eastern Despotism?
d. What model were the reformers using for their new style of imperial autocracy?

III. a. What was it that was so attractive about the Christian Religion that made it so popular within the Roman Empire?
b. What could be said about conditions in the empire from fact that Christianity had such a powerful popular appeal?
c. What was St. Paul's historical role? d. What was the Edict of Milan?

Germanic Invasion and the Fall of the Western Half of the Empire

IV.a. Who were the German barbarians?
b. Account for the reasons of their victory in the west over the Romans?
c. Why did the Eastern half of the empire survive?
d. What were the consequences of the Germanic conquests, economically and socially?

Western Christian Thought during the Early Period

V. a. St. Jerome; Ambrose: contributions.
b. St. Augustine: City of God.*
c. Boethius: Consolation of Philosophy.*

Emperor Justinian

VI.a. His works.
b. His campaigns.

Augustine and Boethius as thinkers bridging the classical and Christian periods. Augustine's theory of "Just War. and Christian philosophy in history. Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy as Christian reinterpretation of classical thought and mythology. As Hellenistic period was a bridge between classical and Roman periods so too were Augustine and Boethius a bridge between Roman and Christian periods.


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