Transcript Document

Continuity and Change
in the Roman Empire
Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D.
GSTR 220-B
Western Traditions I
Berea College
Fall 2003
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THE RISE OF
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE),
consul and general, makes
himself “dictator for life,” but is
assassinated by Senators
Octavian (63 BCE-14 CE),
Caesar’s adopted heir, triumphs
in power struggle and becomes
Imperator (emperor), virtually
eliminating democratic freedoms
enjoyed during Republican
period
As Augustus (Revered One),
regarded as Son of God (Apollo)
Under Augustus, Pax Romana
(Roman Peace) quiets conflicts,
brings prosperity, and expands
Roman power throughout world
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Greatest Extent of Roman Empire, c. 117 CE
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LIFE UNDER THE EMPERORS
Unlike the Republican era, women
enjoy many freedoms, and may own
land, run businesses, free slaves,
make wills, inherit property, and
work outside of the home
Nonetheless, women are forbidden to
hold office, can be killed by their
husbands if adulterous, and usually
do not receive educations
Adoptions are frequently made in
order to expand families, create
alliances, or protect fortunes from
improvident heirs
Politicians are exiled or executed at
whim of emperors, leading to decline
of interest in public service
Slaves work at all levels of society
and represent approximately 1/3 of
Roman subjects
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“Five Good Emperors”:
Nerva (96-98 CE): chooses adopted
son to succeed him
Trajan (98-117): first emperor born
outside of Italy; establishes welfare
and educational systems for poor;
expands Empire to its greatest extent
Hadrian (117-138): Trajan’s cousin;
like him, native of Spain; builds
many public works
Antoninus Pius (138-161): Hadrian’s
adopted heir; further diminishes
Senate’s power
Marcus Aurelius (161-180):
Antoninus Pius’ adopted heir; Stoic
philosopher; presides over final
Roman conquests in Europe; his son,
Commodus, is one of worst emperors
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NEW RELIGIONS IN
AN OLD WORLD
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Although traditional state religion
persists into Imperial era, for most
Romans it no longer fulfills spiritual
and intellectual needs
Period after Marcus Aurelius’ rule
characterized by civil war, invasions,
plagues, and overseas rebellions
“Mystery religions” become popular:
Based on teachings of miracleperforming founders
Offer secret knowledge to initiates
Promise individual salvation and
eternal life
Develop religious activities
independent of family and state
Focus on savior deities who die and
come back to life
Often connected with “exotic”
cultures of Middle East
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THE ADVENT OF
CHRISTIANITY
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Jesus (Hebrew Yeshua):
Born to poor Jewish family of
craftsmen based in obscure town of
Nazareth, c. 4 BCE
Becomes a wandering rabbi who
heales and teaches Hebrew scriptures
in public
Claims to understand God and God’s
plan for humanity in radically new
way
Teaches necessity of moral perfection,
casual attitude toward ritual purity,
“blessedness” of society’s outcasts,
and nonviolence as best means of
resolving social conflicts
Executed by Romans, c. 29 CE
Experienced as a resurrected being
by his followers, who called him
Messiah (Greek translation: Christos)
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WHO IS JESUS?
For some early Christians, Jesus
is God’s “suffering servant” who
bears the sins of Israel (Isaiah
55:6)
For others, Jesus is God himself,
incarnated “in the form of a
slave” (Philippians 2:6-7)
Many of those who regard Jesus
as God incarnate believe that he
has been “raised from the dead”
(1 Corinthians 15:20) and that he
“ascended” to God (John 20:17)
as a sign of God’s love and
power
These images of Jesus gradually
become known as “orthodox”
(right-believing)
For other early Christians, Jesus
is the teacher of secret
knowledge (Greek gnosis) that
only the initiated can understand
(Gospel of Thomas 70)
For still others, Jesus is the new
god who has come to sweep
away Jewish tradition (including
the Hebrew Bible) and the old,
inferior Jewish God who made
this corrupt material world
(Gospel of Marcion 6:17-42)
Various “heterodox” (differentlybelieving) views rivaled orthodox
Christianity for several hundred
years after the lifetime of Jesus
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THE GROWTH OF
CHRISTIAN INSTITUTIONS
As more non-Jews (Gentiles) became
Christians, the initial tolerance
extended by the Roman state (on the
grounds that Christianity was a Jewish
sect) faded and persecution ensued
Constantine (274?-337), heir to the
Roman throne, sees Christian symbols
in a vision prior to a successful battle,
and declares orthodox Christianity to
be a tolerable religion afterwards
One of his successors, Theodosius I
(346-395), extends this toleration by
establishing orthodox Christianity as
the state religion of the Roman
Empire
Christian institutions model
themselves on imperial structures,
complete with Pontifex Maximus
(High Priest) based in Rome
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WHY DID CHRISTIANITY
SUCCEED?
Christians experience great conflict
with Roman cultural norms, yet
eventually Romans become
Christians and Christianity becomes
Roman
Roman persecution was sporadic,
allowing Christianity to become
publicly acceptable in some areas
Unlike paganism, Christianity
encouraged prosyletization and
conversion
Roman paganism had become so
diverse and complicated that many
Romans found it unattractive
Christianity offered strong,
egalitarian, humane community in a
mass society driven by class
distinctions and peppered with
cruelty and violence
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