Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Changing World of Rome: Emperors, Christians, and Invaders

• 200 B.C.- A.D. 600
• Instead of dying, the Mediterranean civilization of Greece and Rome began to spread among many still-barbarian northern peoples, until it became the Christian Europe of the Middle Ages."
• The greatest single change that began among the peoples of the empire during the era of the Roman Peace was the spread of a new form of monotheistic religion, Christianity. 
• "Christ Victorious": the mosaic in a chapel in the Italian city of Ravenna dates from about A.D. 500, when Rome was beset  by invaders and Christians were bitterly divided over beliefs 
• Meanwhile, the empire helped bring changes to peoples living outside as well as inside the borders 
• Germanic barbarians of northern Europe became wealthier, more highly organized, and military stronger as a result of living as Rome's neighbors during the era of the Roman Peace. 
• Barbarians grew stronger
• In addition, the empire was still strong enough to bring about the last and greatest of the changes in civilization that took place under its rule 
• As long as Rome had prospered, the emperor's had take little notice of Christianity's growth and spread 
• In the empire's time of troubles, they sometimes harshly persecuted it and sometimes deliberately tolerated it 
• Eventually, the burden of government and the army became too heavy to bear, the barbarian attacks grew too fierce to be resisted, and the empire began to collapse