The Rise Of The Roman Empire Essay - 1875 Words

Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. He started his reign in 307 AD. During this time the Roman Empire was still composed mainly of pagans. Although the population of Christians was on the rise, in the beginning of the fourth century, Christians made up only 10 percent of the population in the Roman Empire. There were approximately five million Christians in the Roman Empire meaning that they were still the minority (Waldron). His conversion was an important turning point not only for Christians but also for the Roman Empire as a whole. Although most Romans still believed in Greco-Roman religions, Constantine decided to become a Christian because he knew that it would be beneficial for his role as emperor. His conversion was prompted by his desire to end the tetrarchy structure of the Roman Empire and to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. The story of Constantine’s conversion was told through Eusebius of Caersera. His recount of the story is skewed by his bias. In order to show a more holistic view of the story I will be comparing his account to the account of another historian named Andreas Alföldi. The comparison will show that Constantine had other motives for converting to Christianity. Constantine’s decision to become a Christian was influenced by numerous external factors. He emulated the monotheistic nature of Christianity and used it as the foundation of his reign and used Christianity to advance his political agenda. WhenShow MoreRelatedThe Rise Of The Roman Empire973 Words   |  4 Pagessee how empires grew and became successful. Many empires were so successful because of their leaders and their philosophies. Empires often had good runs and would be running successful until a stronger and more powerful empire would bring them down. One empire that was known as the most advanced both socially and politically in the western civilization was the Roman Empire. At about 285 CE the empire was so gr eatly advanced that the Roman central government could no longer rule the empire on its ownRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire2740 Words   |  11 Pagesone thing comes to mind, the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires of all time. The span of the Roman Empire grew from itself outward to the countries of England, Africa, Spain, and even Syria. The Roman Empire covered a vast area of land, with ambitions of continued growth. The Roman Empire rose to glory in 27 BC. The rise of the Roman Empire began with its military forces and its many emperor’s reign. The society and life of Romans were also affected by the empire’sRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire1494 Words   |  6 Pagescentral Europe and occupied by several Celtic tribes in pre-Roman times. The land was claimed by the Roman Empire once the Celtic tribe Noricum fell to the Empire and became a providence. Once the Roman Empire gained control of the area, it soon set up a Military camp on the eastern side of the providence calling it the Upper Pannonia providence which was the home for 50,000 people for nearly 400 years. After the fall of the Roman Empire; Charlemagne, King of the Franks, had control of the land atRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire2506 Words   |  11 PagesOne of the greatest empires to have existed in ancient human history is undoubtedly the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire maintained very sophisticated governmental policies. Not only were they responsible for groundbreaking political systems, Rome was very technologically advanced as well. Rome would lay a foundation for civilizations to come with the innovative political and technological breakthroughs they experienced. Unfortunately for Rome, the higher the rise also meant the harder the fall. RomeRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire2137 Words   |  9 Pagesas the Roman Empire was nearly compromised after the German Visigoths and their leader, Alaric, invaded it in 410 AD. This invasion of the newly Christian Empire that was supposed to be invincible shattered the confidence of the Romans and subsequently led them to question the power of their new single God. The Roman Empire has previously been a Pagan empire, but Constantine the Great converted the empire to Christianity less than a century before the Visig oths captured Rome. Many Romans were skepticalRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire1864 Words   |  8 PagesJulius Caesar , a Roman general and statesman he turned the Roman republic into a powerful Roman Empire. A coup ended his reign , and his powerful life , on the Ides Of March. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that was to dominate Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power through populist tactics were opposed by the conservativeRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire1428 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire is widely regarded as one of, if not the most dominant government to ever exist. Early civilization in Europe was dominated by the Romans, and their constantly growing empire. With the help of Greek political ideas, the Romans adopted one very similar where supreme power is held by the people from their elected representatives. These representatives were a part of the Senate, where all political laws were made and enforced, very similar idea to the type of Senate that existsRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire1224 Words   |  5 Pagesinfluence to affect the Roman world. Constantine came to power in the Western provinces of the Roman Empire as an advocate of religious toleration. Constantine’s advocacy for religious toleration alongside his conversion marks a turning point of the Roman world and drives the spread Christianity. With Diocletian’s abdication in 305 A.D., Constantine’s troops acclaimed him as Caesar. The age of persecution began in 303 A.D. under Diocletian as an effort to rid the Roman Empire of Christians. It wasRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire863 Words   |  4 Pagesanyone who did not speak Greek. During the decline of the Roman Empire, many barbaric tribes took the opportunity to attack. The migration of barbarians closer to Rome put stress on an already stressed Roman government. The increased tension eventually lead to an outbreak of wars. In 410 Rome was sacked by the Visigoths—lead by Alaric—and was attacked again in 455 but the Vandals (â€Å"Dining With Attila the Hun, 448†). Attacks on the Roman Empire by the Huns did not start until the middle of the 5th centuryRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire1611 Words   |  7 PagesRome was an empire with extremely high aspirations and expectations from. Its founders chose to steal women from neigh boring villages, in order to grow its population. These aggressive and expansionary ideologies remained within the personalities of every Roman, living inside the great empire 755 years later. And yet despite its vast military presence and growing cities and towns, the Roman Empire and its capital still succumbed to a barbarian takeover. This was widely regarded as one of the greatest