X.284-641, Late Antiquity (General Characteristics) A.Diocletianic, Constantinian and Theodosian reforms reinforce & formalize pre-existing centralizing and autocratic tendencies 1.Emperor as Dominus a.Military Despots (1)Professional Soldiers who rose through the ranks (2)Often they know little of Roman history (a)Thus Eutropius: Breviarum (b)"Roman History For Idiots" b.Emperor as chief potentate of the Empire c.Majesty of the Emperor 2.Empire administered by potentes, an "aristocracy of service" a.Secular hierarchy of career minded officials and grandees b.These officials tax, assert law, preserve order, strut c.Their palaces and estates replace the fora as regards politics & government (1)Peter Brown: "The forum made private" (2)Political activity impossible for most citizens (3)Theatres & games become important public spaces 3.Reorganization of Provinces & Dioceses a.Reinforces centralizing tendencies of imperial administration b.More efficient administration & exploitation c.Increased Imperial intervention in cities, economy d.Increased compulsion in labor & imperial service e.Increased taxation in kind (grain, wine, cloth) 4.Reorganization of Military commands a.Mobile field armies each controlled by a Magister Militum b.Comitatenses increase in importance, prestige, utility c.Limitanes decrease in prestige & utility d.Internal revolt more dangerous than external pressure? e.Senators excluded from military command, professionals only 5.Fiscal and Monetary reforms slowly remonetize the economy a.Edict of Diocletian b.Constantine's gold solidus XI.The Christian Roman Empire, 313-565, General Comments A.Churches become new sacred public space 1.Secular hierarchy less visible a.Yet the clergy themselves are sacred potentates 2.All citizens equal in sin, in need of atonement & mercy a.Yet a hierarchy of eucharistic recipients b.Who themselves atone & ask for mercy 3.Clergy as social critics a.Decry moral, religious, social failures b.Call for repentence & reform c.Assume role once played by philosophers & social critics 4.Holy men & women & the Saints become the new public exemplars a.Replacing the old secular and civic heroes b.Thus emphasizing the new Christian community c.Continuum between the Bible & the saints through the present 5.Public munificence shifts from secular & civic to Church & poor a.Especially the professional poor: monks, nuns, hermits XII.284-305: Tetrarchic Period A.Diocletian (284-305) tries to solve large problems 1.Tetrarchy as a solution to succession 2.Ceremonial Despotism (from Persians?) 3.Centrally controlled economy a.Wage and Price Controls 4.Reorganization of military a.Four central armies, each under a Praetorian Prefect b.Frontier forces reduced in importance & prestige 5.Reorganization of provinces & administration a.Four Praetorian Prefectures (1)12 dioceses (2)100+ provinces b.Separation of civil & militrary commands in provinces (1)civil government under vicarii or governors (2)local military command under duces 6.Legal reforms & codification of laws & rescripts since 193 7.Major persecution of Christians begins February 23, 303 a.Christians seen as forces of disunity & subversion B. The Tetrarchs, 284-305 C. Diocletian, Augustus in the east, 284-305 (resigned) D. Galerius, Caesar in the east, 293-305 (promoted to Augustus) E. Maximian, Augustus in the west, 293-305 (resigned, then returns) F. Constantius I, Caesar in the west, 293-305 (promoted to Augustus) 1.defeats Carausius, usurper in northern Gaul & Britain, 293 2.defeats Allectus, usurper in Britain, 293-296 XIII.305-324, Tetrarchic Wars A.These & later civil wars are full battles between huge armies 1.1000's of soldiers die 2.Which weakens the fourth century armies B. Galerius, Augustus in the east, 305-311 C. Maximinus Daia, Caesar in the east, 305-313* D. Constantius Chlorus, Augustus in the west, 305-306 E. Severus, Caesar in the west, 305-306, then Augustus, 306-307* F. Constantine, Caesar in the west, 306-312, Augustus 312-337 G. Maxentius, Augustus in Italy, 306-312* H. Licinius, Augustus, 308-324* XIV.Problems of the Fourth Century A.Roman Army in the west largely destroyed in full-scale civil wars B.Increasing reliance on barbarian soldiers & barbarian commanders C.Increasing barbarian pressure on Rhine-Danube frontier D.Increasing Persian pressure on Tigris frontier E.Arian heresy XV.313-363, Constantinian Dynasty A.Constantine (W) & Licinius (E), 313-324 1.Council of Iliberris [Granada] in Spain B.Constantine the Great, sole emperor 324-337 1.Adopts Christianity, First Christian Emperor, yet a heretic 2.Edict of Toleration, 313 3.Christianity becomes "Most Favored" religion a.harsh measures against paganism after 324 (1)no pagan sacrifices, no new temples, etc. b.Council of Nicaea, 325 4.New Capital at Byzantium: Constantinople 5.Reforms Coinage: Gold Solidus 6.Military: Mobile Field army in the four Praetorian Prefectures, led by Magistri Militum (Praetorian Prefects lose military role) a.Frontier armies reduced in strength b.moble field army more reactive than defensive c.smaller regional armies led by duces (dukes) C.Consequences of a Christian Emperor 1.Church gradually integrated with Roman State 2.Emperor dominates Church (East) 3.Church can dominate Emperor (West: story of Ambrose & Theodosius) D.Constantine's dynasty (to 363) mostly inept & brutal 1.Constantius II, 353-361 a.Augustus in the east to 353 b.sole Emperor, 353-361 2.Constantine II, 337-340 a.Augustus in the west 3.Constans, 337-350 a.Caesar in the west, 337-340 b.Augustus in the west, 340-350 4.Julian the Apostate, 354-363* a.Caesar in the west, 354-361 5.Jovian (not Constantinian family), 363 XVI.364-392, Valentinian Dynasty A.Valentinian I, emperor in the west, 364-375 B.Valens, emperor in the east, 364-378* 1.Goths converted to Arian heresy, not Nicene Christianity 2.Goths allowed to settle in & defend Pannonia & Moesia 3.Goths rebel against Roman misrule, 378 4.Valens killed & his army destroyed at Adrianople, 378 5.Goths ravage Thrace & Greece, beseige Constantinople C.Gratian, emperor in the west, 375-383* D.Valentinian II, 378-392 1.co-emperor in Illyricum, then in the west w/ Theodosius XVII.378-455, Theodosian Dynasty A. Theodosius I, 378-395 1.emperor in the east, 379-394 2.sole emperor 394-395 3.Theodosian Solutions & Problems a.Theodosius incorporates many Goths into Roman army (1)many Goths settled as federates in Illyricum (2)these Goths led by Alaric c. 400-410 b.Christianity becomes Official Religion c.Theodosius divides Empire E & W between inept sons B. Magnus Maximus, usurper in the west, 383-388* 1.Roman army in the west largely destroyed in this war 2.Much of what was left returned east with Theodosius 3.Western emperors have to rely largely on barbarian armies led by barbarian kings and barbarian generals - often enrolled as federates or as hospites C. Eugenius, usurper in the west, 392-394* (puppet of Arbogast) D. Honorius, emperor in the west, 395-423 1.various Gothic groups try to invade Italy several times 2.Honorius eventually recalls limes troops from Rhine frontier 3.Rhine frontier left largely undefended by 405 4.Barbarians cross the Rhine en masse during winter of 405/406 a.Franks, Alemanni, Vandals, Alans, Suevi, Burgundians, etc b.Ravage Gaul & Iberia, some settle in North Africa 5.Alaric's Goths in Illyricum rebel, sack Rome in 410 a.Incorporate other Gothic & barbarian bands & some Romans b.Alaric's Goths are known from 410 onwards as Visigoths E. Arcadius, emperor in the east, 395-408 F. Theodosius II, emperor in the east, 408-450 G. Valentinian III, emperor in the west, 423-455* XVIII.Fifth Century Problems A.Generalissimos of the Later Roman Empire: Stilicho, Aetius, etc. B.Barbarian armies established throughout Western Empire by 418 C.Attila's Huns invade West in 451 1.Roman general Aetius organizes Roman-Germanic alliance 2.Aetius victorius (barely) at Battle of Chalons, Huns retreat 3.Roman-Germanic alliance dissolves almost immediately 4.Huns invade Italy the next year, hit by plague, retreat D.Barbarians occupy Western Empire, control emperors after 455 E.Rome sacked twice by Vandals from North Africa in mid-450's F.Western emperors after 455 usually puppets of barbarian Generals G.Barbarian women such as Pelagia & her buccelari play an important role XIX.XX.455-476, The last Western Emperors A. Maximus, emperor in the west, 455* B. Avitius, emperor in the west, 455-457* C. Majorian, emperor in the west, 457-461* (puppet of Ricimir) D. Libius Severus, emperor in the west, 461-465* (puppet of Ricimir) E. Anthemius, emperor in the west, 467-472* F. Olybrius, emperor in the west, 472 (puppet of Ricimir) G. Glycerius, emperor in the west, 473-474 (puppet of Gundobad) H. Julius Nepos, emperor in the west 474-478 (Illyricum only after 475) I. Romulus Augustulus, last emperor in the west, 475-476 1.Deposed in 476 by Odovacar (barbarian general) 2.Western Roman Empire gradually disappears after 476 3.Western Church preserves many Roman institutions 4.Western aristocracies co-exist with Germanic aristocracy a.Sidonius Apollinaris, Ruricius of Limoges, etc. in Gaul b.Isidore's family & other Hispano-Roman families in Iberia XXI.476 & beyond, Barbarian Kingdoms in the West A. Franks in Gaul & Germania B. Visigoths in SW Gaul and Spain C. Ostrogoths in Italy D. Burgundians in SE Gaul E. Suevi in NW Spain F. Alans in NW Gaul (Brittany) & elsewhere G. Vandals in North Africa H. Angles & Saxons in Britain XXII.450-641, The Eastern Emperors A. Eastern empire holds on until 1453 1.maintains "Roman" army 2.reduces reliance on barbarians (for a while) B. Marcian, emperor in the east, 450-457 C. Leo I "the Isaurian", emperor in the east, 457-474 D. Leo II, co-emperor in the east, 473-474 E. Zeno, emperor in the east, 474-491 F. Anastasius, emperor in the east, 491-518 G. Justin I, emperor in the east, 518-527 H. Justinian I, emperor in the east and the west, 527-565 1.Empress Theodora a.unofficial co-ruler b.a power unto herself c.supports Monophysite heresy 2.Last Latin Speaking Byzantine Emperor 3.Partial & Temporary Reconquest of West: Italy, Africa, Coastal Spain 4.Corpus Iuris Civilis (Law in Latin, Commentary in Greek) 5.Buildings: Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, San Vitale in Ravenna 6.Continuous intervention in Church affairs a.Affair of the "Three Chapters" b.Condemnation of Origen & Origenism c.Promulgates and supports Apthartodocetist heresy d.Imposes Byzantine heresies in reconquered North Africa 7.War with Persian Empire (goes badly, ends in stalemate) I. Justin II, emperor in the east and the west, 565-578 J. Tiberius II, emperor in the east and Africa, 578-582 K. Maurice, emperor in the east and Africa, 582-602 L. Phocas, emperor in the east and Africa, 602-610 M. Heraclius, emperor in the east and Africa, 610-641 1.Drives Persians from Egypt, Palestine, Syria 2.Reforms bureaucracy, Church, military (Themes) 3.Long wars in Persia weaken Byzantium on eve of Muslim Conquest 4.Major Slavic conquests in the Balkans