Notes from today- The Roman Empire...after Pax Romana

So today we got to class and got right to work on taking notes about "The Roman Empire....after Pax Romana." It was actually kind of interesting because we've been talking about Christianity in Rome...which is what I believe in...and how the Christians were persecuted for their belief. The Christians first started out almost like a cult but grew so large and is even very large today. So here are my notes from today:

• 99 Problems (here's just a few)
• In the 3rd Century A.D
• Epidemic disease spreads throughout the empire
•  Too hard to defend the frontier against the barbarians
• Emperors began to lose their hold on power
• Stayed in power for about 2 and a half years due to assassinations or war
•  Maintaining armies is expensive 
• Too many poverty stricken citizens
• Diocletian to the Rescue
• 284 A.D- Diocletian's reform
• Increases the size of the army to 400,000
• 1/3 larger than Augustus's time
• Recruited from the ranks of the barbarians (enemies they captured)
• Divide Roman territories into smaller providences  
• New government had 20,000 officials- 10 times larger than Augustus's time
• More efficient at collecting taxes which help provide a larger army 
• Time Marches on...
• 300 A.D
• 60 million people in the Roman empire
• Several million are Christians
• Christianity appealed o the poor....plenty of those!
• More Christians,more face-to-face contacts, more conversations, more offspring
• Christians gaining power, becoming the ruling elite
• Persecute or not to persecute?
• Diocletian (ruled 284-305) left Christians alone at first
• Then he undertook the most systematic persecution of all
• It was the last and most severe persecution 
• 284
• Varied across the empire ( weakest in Gaul and Britain, strongest in the Eastern empire) 
• Four different edicts
• Edicts: a decree, order, or ordinance issued by a sovereign, state, or any other holder of authority; any formal or authoritative command, proclamation, etc. 
• 1st- new church was razed; books burned and treasures taken 
• Wanted no bloodshed but those who refused to worship Jupiter were burned alive
• February 23, 303
•  The edict ordered the destruction of Christian scriptures, liturgical books, places of worship across the empire, and prohibit Christians from worshiping. Christians were not allowed to go to court about any of these things happening.  
• Christian senators, equestrians, decurions, veterans, and soldiers had the positions taken away and imperial freedmen were re-slaved. 
• 2nd- Arrest and imprisonment of all priests and bishops 
• Prisons filled with deacons, lectors, priests, bishops, and exorcists 
• summer of 303
• There was no logical necessity of this second edict.
• Diocletian said he did it because the first edict was not working as quickly as wanted
• 3rd-any imprisoned clergy man could now be freed as long as he agrees to make a sacrifice to the gods
•  November 20, 303
•  Some people were more willing than others to make a sacrifice sine it was considered unacceptable.
• 4th-All persons (men, women, and children) to father in a public space and offer a collective sacrifice. 
• 304
• If you refused, you were executed. This edict was not enforced at all of the domains of Maximilian and Constantine.
• Constantine ruled from 306-337
• He favored Christianity 
• Was against the persecution of Christians 
• On July 25, 306, he succeeded his father. 
• He immediately ended all ongoing persecution and returned property that had been stolen.
• Constantine was seen as a possible liberator of oppressed Christians everywhere.
• First Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, over the ago of 40.
• He issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed tolerance of all religions throughout the empire. 
• Throughout his rule, he supported the Church financially, built basilicas, granted privileges to clergy, and promoted Christians to high office. Made a law so that Jews could not have Christian slaves.
• Source for edict definition: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/edict