ROME: THE REPUBLIC, THE EMPIRE, AND THE FALL. A VAST AND POWERFUL EMPIRE Efficient government with able rulers Augustus Secured the frontier, glorified.

ROME: THE REPUBLIC, THE EMPIRE, AND THE FALL

A VAST AND POWERFUL EMPIRE

• Efficient government with able rulers• Augustus• Secured the frontier, glorified Rome with big/beautiful

public buildings, set up a civil service

• The Civil Service managed the government• Collected taxes, managed supply of goods, postal system• Drew from plebian class

• Trade• Agriculture• 90% Farmers • Constantine accepts Christianity in 312

SO WHY DID ROME FALL?

• Weak Economy• Disrupted trade• No more expansion = No more plunder• Raised taxes – Inflation • Poor crops due to depleted soil

• Military and Political Trouble• Soldiers and citizens lacked loyalty to the throne• Mercenaries

• Threat from northern tribes

• Capitol moved from Rome to Byzantium in 324 • Renamed Constantinople• Power shift – range of power

ESSENTIALLY . . .

• Rome preserved and added to Greek Culture• From Greece:• Art: although Romans took a more realistic approach to the

human form• philosophy of stoicism was very influential• Literary forms and models

• Legacy of Rome:• Latin, the language of the Romans remained even after the Fall• Master Builders: Coliseum, Aqueducts• System of Laws

ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL

•Rome was a vast and powerful empire• Efficient government with able rulers

•The rise of Christianity• Persecution • Edict of Milan in 313 • Constantine accepts Christianity

CRASH COURSE

•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PszVWZNWVA

THE ROLE OF THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH

ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL

•Christian expansion • Balance of power between Emperor/King

and the Pope

•The fall of Rome •Weak economy•Military and political trouble

HOW DID THE DECLINE OF ROME AFFECT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH? • Catholic Church was the dominant spiritual influence

in Western Europe

• For most the Church was the center of their lives• Small number of Jews, Muslims, and non-

Catholic Christians

• Decline of Rome in 400s allowed the church to assume many political and social tasks.

•The Pope • strongest political

leader in Western Europe and • claimed spiritual

authority over all Christians.

The Bishop of Rome

TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH

• All people are sinners and dependent on God’s grace.

• The only way to receive grace is by taking part in the sacraments• Baptism• Penance• Eucharist (communion)• Confirmation• Matrimony• Anointing of the sick• Holy orders

LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH RITUAL

•Masses were said in Latin, which few people understood

•Priests were poorly educated and did not teach effectively

•Few worshippers could read or write

WHERE DID THEIR UNDERSTANDING COME FROM?

What the average person learned came from statues, paintings, and stained glass windows

that adorned churches

POWER OF THE CHURCH

•Power through its own laws •courts with power over lords and kings

•Withholding of the sacraments (used as punishment)

POWER OF THE CHURCH

• Feudal ties in receiving of land from nobles in return for ensuring their salvation also provided • Wealth• political power• protection to the church.

• However, political power undermined spiritual validity • nobles gained more influence over the church• able to place relatives in church positions despite little

devotion to spiritual calling.

REFORM

•Call for Reform (900s) by devout Christians•Wanted to free church from control of feudal lords•Wanted church, not the state, to be final authority in Western society

CHURCH COUNCIL 1095

•Declared that political leaders could no longer elect the pope• a gathering of cardinals• High-Church officials in Rome that ranked

directly below the pope

•Also insisted that the pope, not secular rulers (lords/kings), should appoint bishops, and other church officials

CHURCH STRUCTURE ACTIVITY…