What is late antiquity? When did this period begin and end?
Late antiquity= a period containing multiple large changes that impacted both the east and west
Peter town suggested it ranged from 200-700 BCE, however newer interpretations suggest 250-800BCE
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What concept is the most appropriate: continuity or change? Decline or transformation?
Change:
-fall of the Roman Empire
-Christianity replaces paganism
-empire to kingship
-west becomes Christian and east is taken by Islam
Continuity:
-Peter Brown suggests that much of the structures present in Late antiquity are still around today
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What were the most important characteristics of the ‘new’ Roman Empire as it emerged from the 3rd century crisis? How was it different from before?
-tetrarchy
-provinces divided into dioceses
-emperor now stays in a tetrarchic capital rather than Rome (Rome= purely symbolic place of heritage rather than seat of power)
-harsher intolerance of Christians
-new form of taxation:
Igvatio Capitatio
-concep
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How did Diocletian’s reforms impact the public and private life of Roman citizens?
-richest locals absorbed into aristocracy (previously had to have been born into it)
-Emperor no longer ‘first among equals’ but rather a higher, divine being
-division of provinces= too many administrators feeding off too few taxpayers
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What was he in the late antique conception of imperial power?
-from ‘first among equals’ to ‘our master’
-dazzling outfits
-large entourages
-processions
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What did late Roman society look like?
-some degree of social mobility however, social climbers were frowned upon
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Was late roman society more unequal than what came before?
-to be able to climb in social status and prestige you hade to be educated (very expensive)- therefore only accessible to those already at the top
-only upward movement for the exceptionally literate and articulate
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How did inequality shape the history of late antiquity?
- growth in the senate resulted in more vacancies of attractive roles (resulting in the ‘flight of the decurions/councillors’)
-flight of the councillors results in loss of rights for remaining councillors and status (being bat up in the street etc)
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How did Constantine complete the process of transformation of the Roman Empire? What were his objectives?
-new imperial capital (Constantinople)
-creates distinct architectural heritage
-revised Diocletian’s new administrative apparatus
-restructured the army
-new dynasty/style of dynastic rule
-CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY
-religious reforms
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How did Constantin’s religious preferences impact the structure of the empire?
-start of reign started promoting his faith outside the areas he controlled
-edict of Milan 313 (freedom of worship to those in Licinius’ domain)
-from tetrarchy to dyarchy
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How did Constantine’s successors deal with the looming shadow of the founder of the dynasty?
-churches often followed Constantine’s style
After C’s death the army colluded with his sons to kill their cousins and any other familial threats (sons got more land)
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What is meant by Christianisation?
-the slow complicated transformation from paganism to Christianity
-supported by imperial edicts, laws, violence, and coercion
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What forms of evidence are the most useful when exploring Christianisation?
-Theodesian code
-Written works by theologians, bishops, hagiographers, and church historians/chroniclers
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How did the complex geography of the Roman Empire influence power relations?
-scale and distance
-secession and division required
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What were the perceived pros and cons of divided rulership?
Pros:
-able to suppress disturbances more effectively
Cons:
-greed
-selfishness
—poor communication
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How was the ‘last’ division of the empire different from the ones that came before?
- context= multiple contests for supremacy
-territorial dispute by those outside of the empire (e.g., visigoths)
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How and why did the city transform in late antiquity?
-changes in use=changes in architecture
-coming of Islam
-Invasion
-Natural disaster
Sift in means of transporting goods
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How did the emergence of Christianity affect daily life in the city?
-building of churches
-christians suspicion of money-making activities impacted trade
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What role did local elites play in forming the city and how did their influence change through time?
-landowners next to cities would travel to join in social and political activities
-city elite=Dependent on government because so much of their wealth came from their roles as tax collectors and administrators in surrounding rural areas
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How did the foundation of a new Rome on the Bosporus reshape the late antique Mediterranean?
-removed seat of power from Italy
-peninsula= very defensible and much more strategic
-between the Black Sea and the s.Mediterranean (TRADE)
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How did the topography of Constantinople evolve over the subsequent centuries?
-expanded from the original Greek settlement of Byzantium
-large walls
-many large churches/cathedrals
-aqueduct water system
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What concept is the most appropriate: continuity or change? Decline or transformation?
Back
Change:
-fall of the Roman Empire
-Christianity replaces paganism
-empire to kingship
-west becomes Christian and east is taken by Islam
Continuity:
-Peter Brown suggests that much of the structures present in Late antiquity are still around today
Card 3
Front
What were the most important characteristics of the ‘new’ Roman Empire as it emerged from the 3rd century crisis? How was it different from before?
Back
Card 4
Front
How did Diocletian’s reforms impact the public and private life of Roman citizens?
Back
Card 5
Front
What was he in the late antique conception of imperial power?
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