Third Century Background for The Middle Ages

Diocletian Constantine Christianity Dating Systems

 Julian Calendar – Roman dates – Reformed in in 45 BCE – Consultant: Sosigenes of Alexandria  Gregorian Calendar – 16th century  BC/AD – Bede d. 735 Eid Mar Denarius 42 B.C.E. The Middle Ages

 Why “middle” or “dark”?

 Early Middle Ages – 500-1000  Central or High Middle Ages – 1000-1300  Later Middle Ages – 1300- Roman Empire - 3rd Century Classical Culture

 Survives the crisis of the third century  Reaches the Middle Ages through – Eastern Empire – Islam – Frankish Kingdoms – Christianity Christianity  Background  Origins  Expansion  Dissent  Monasticism Origins  Judaism  Objections  Jesus of Nazareth c. 4 BC – Imperial cult – AD 30 – Jesus as a criminal  Paul of Tarsus – Secret rituals Appeal • Cannibalism • Love feasts – Social class – Women – Community – afterlife Organization

 Bishops  Emperors’ partners – Doctrine – Replace curiales • Orthodox  Bishop of Rome • heretical  Scriptural – Apostolic succession justification – Ordination • Priests – Control of finances The spread of Christianity Christianity differed from other mystery religions  Founder/savior was a historical person

 Christian God seen as the One God, the God of the Jews, and unique for centuries Holy Men/Saints

 Self-denial and martyrdom  Piety and humility  Withdrawal from the world – Ascetics – Hermits – Monks – Monasteries  Relics Forearm of St. Desirderius Reorganization

 Sources  Diocletian 284-305 – Tetrarchy – Wage/price controls – Limitations on farmers and the elite – Great Persecution 303-311 Diocletian 284-305

 Tetrarchy – Diocletian: Balkans, Asia Minor • Nicomedia – Galerius: East – Maximian: Italy, North Africa – Constantius Chlorus: Gaul, Britain

Dominate

 Oriental court ceremony  Purple robes  Diadem  Divine connections – Jupiter – Hercules Diocletian’s palace Diocletians Camp Palmyra c.300 The Eastern empire survives

 Richer – – Trade routes – China, Damascus, Alexandria – Cities – biggest and richest – Diverse agriculture  Dealing with barbarians  Military efforts – Diplomacy – Bribery Roman Institutions and Byzantine Uses  Consul – Appointed by emperor  Quaestor – Legal advisor through 7th century  Senate – Until 1453, emperor’s men  Army – always power behind the throne CONSTANTINE THE GREAT

 Constantine 305-337 – First Christian emperor – Founder of Constantinople  Source – Eusebius – Church History – Life of Constantine  Milvian Bridge 312  Edict of Milan 313  Council of Nicaea 325 308

 In the West: – Licenius – augustus – Constantine – caesar  In the East – Galerius – augustus – Maximinus Daia – caesar (nephew of Galerius) 311 - 312

 Tetrarchy collapses

 East vs West

 Milvian Bridge – 312 – Lactantius – Eusebius Milvian Bridge by Raphael Constantine’s Conversion Rubens Constantine and Christianity

 Conversion? – Importance of Christianity – like earlier Rome, religion is key to success and prosperity

 Favoritism

 Wealth

 Intervention – Council of Nicaea 325

 Baptized in 337 Triumphal arch - Rome

Bucoleon and Blachernae Palace Aghia Irene

Internal dissent Heresy  Arianism  Monophysitism  Nestorianism Arianism  Arius c. 260-336  “begotten” from nothing  Not co-eternal  Council at Nicaea – 325 – 220 bishops  Lingering belief Monophysitism  Single, divine nature  6th century split – Egypt • Coptic – Ethiopia – Syria – Armenia Nestorianism  Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople  428  Birth of Jesus – Human – Divine comes later  Rejects Theotokos – Bearer of God  Condemned in 425 but flourish elsewhere – Arabia, China, India

MONASTICISM  Withdrawal  Monk or “monos”  Antony c. 251-356  Symeon the Stylite 390-459  Relics – protection and healing  Pachomius – Communities in Upper Egypt

Syrian monastery