Diocletian and Constantine
Diocletian and Constantine Around the year AD300, the Roman Empire was huge; it stretched from Northumberland to the Red Sea. However, the population was not evenly spread. There was a sign of decrease. There are many reasons for this: natural disasters (e.g. plague, famine). Civil wars broke out, barbarians were attacking, there was a constant need for money for imperial uses and the emperors were frequently changing. During these years, the two most important and successful emperors that attempted to solve these problems were Diocletian and Constantine. What was unusual about Diocletian was that he remained securely in power for 21 years. Diocletian' s first move was to exalt the person of the emperor (himself), hoping that the throne would be safer. He wanted himself to be worshiped and praised like a god. He recruited barbarians into the army; this solved some of the problems caused by them. Diocletian was a very clever man, whenever he thought that there might be danger, not only from the barbarians but also from the discontented soldiers, he would move to another place where he thought it might be safe. Diocletian also decided that the empire was too big to be governed by one man. Therefore, he divided it into two. He appointed a fellow soldier to govern the western half while he took charge of the eastern. He then subdivided the parts for two assistants. During his
DISCUSS THE NATURE AND EFFECTS OF CONSTANTINE’S CONVERSION.
DISCUSS THE NATURE AND EFFECTS OF CONSTANTINE'S CONVERSION. The conversion of Emperor Constantine is often viewed as one of the most significant events in the entire history of the early church. Its repercussions enabled the church to actually flourish and develop into how we know it today. "Constantine, like his father, worshipped the Unconquered Sun;...his conversion should not be interpreted as an inward experience of grace . . . It was a military matter. His comprehension of Christian doctrine was never very clear, but he was sure that victory in battle lay in the gift of the God of the Christians." Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church Constantine, son of Constantinius and Helena, lived from 274 or 288(?) to 337, (the date of his birth is uncertain as the beginning of his life played little significance). He was sent to the court of Diocletian to learn how to rule, but he fled back to his father in the West. In 306 Constantine's father died, and later, Constantine was acclaimed emperor by his army at York. He was ambitious, and set about reuniting the empire under his rule (i.e. bringing the separated Eastern and Western blocks of the empire back together). In 312, Constantine invaded Rome in order to take control of the Western Empire by defeating Maxentius, who had taken power in Italy and North Africa. Two other emperors had
What was the significance of the 1926 Imperial Conference?
What was the significance of the 1926 Imperial Conference? The British Empire once embodied Africa, Malaysia, India, Burma, the West Indies, Iraq, Turkey, Transjordan, Palestine, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. However increasing unease, growth for independence, and the uncertainty of the status of white dominions led to a number of events that reshaped the Empire and led to the formation of the Commonwealth. One of the most important events that lead to this formation was the 1926 Imperial Conference. By granting the right of independence to all countries in the empire, the history and the significance that this conference had to all countries involved changed the empire forever. As it was Mackenzie King, the prime minister of Canada who helped to write the declaration, particular focus will be made to the significance the conference had on Canada. The Imperial Conference is an assembly of representatives of the self-governing members of the British Empire, held about every four years until World War II. The meetings prior to 1911 were known as Colonial Conferences, and were mainly concerned with defense problems and the possibility of imperial tariff preference. Relatively informal, they were held when colonial representatives came to Great Britain for royal celebrations. More formalized meetings were held every four years starting in 1907 to 1937. The
With reference to the Res Gestae and Suetonius' Life of Augustus, to what extent did Augustus establish a monarchy between 31BC and 19BC?
With reference to the Res Gestae and Suetonius' Life of Augustus, to what extent did Augustus establish a monarchy between 31BC and 19BC? The key component of 'monarchy' as a political system is generally considered to be the rule, usually in this period absolute, of one person over a state for the duration of their lifetime. It also contains an inherently hereditary nature, with the holder of the office not being elected or appointed through a political process, but named by their predecessor as heir. Rome of the first century BC, however, boasted a strong tradition of proud Republicanism; a tradition with which the concept of monarchy seemed wholly incompatible. Despite the virtual collapse of the Roman Republic in the foregoing years of military demagogues and civil war, and the systematic murder of vehement Republicans such as Cicero under the Triumvirate, the concept of hereditary rule was still widely regarded with hostility following the Battle of Actium. Memories of Julius Caesar's adoption of quasi-monarchical powers in Rome loomed large, and the civil war had left the concept of "monarchy" indelibly associated with the eastern despotism and excess of the reviled Cleopatra. Such different systems of government are seemingly irreconcilable, being as they are inherently antagonistic. Yet Augustus Caesar, one of the most consummate politicians of the ancient world,
How far did domestic conditions determine Spartan foreign policy in the classical period?
How far did domestic conditions determine Spartan foreign policy in the classical period? This essay aims to show that Sparta had to keep domestic conditions at the forefront of their considerations when conducting their foreign affairs. First Sparta's internal structure will be examined to show why foreign policy needed to be carefully planned, next the organisation of the Peloponnesian league and Sparta's actions in the war with Athens will be considered and finally the decline of Sparta. An analysis of Cartlege's method in Agesilaos and the crisis of Sparta will be made to consider whether Sparta's decline could be interpreted by one man's failure to understand the restriction of Sparta's domestic conditions or whether Sparta had more widespread problems. Sparta had an internal structure that relied on every area of its society to be functioning properly to ensure smooth running of the state. Finley1 divides Sparta's structure into three areas: 1) Infrastructure of land allotments, helots and perioikoi 2) Governmental system (including the military; 3) Ritual system. While the last two areas involve the citizens of Sparta, it is the area of society relying on the far more numerous non-citizen bodies that are of interest. Sparta was the only Greek state, which held in subjugation large numbers of fellow Greeks and, as part of this, it is important to remember that
Shame Vs Guilt Culture
Shame Vs Guilt Culture In order to understand the concept of a "shame-culture" brought forth in Dodds' article Agamemnon's Apology, we must first establish an accurate view of Greek culture thousands of years ago. In particular we must focus on the differences in mentality between the Greeks of the Homeric era, the Greeks of the post Homeric era and the modern mentality of today. Most importantly we must recognize the influence of the Gods in ancient Greek life. Without an accurate perception of the above there is little hope in our grasping Dodds' concept of a "shame-culture". However, as we gradually piece together the puzzle of Homeric Greek life naturally the concept of a "shame culture" will appear in full form before our eyes. We will start by examining two concepts which are imbedded in the era of Homeric Greece, ate and menos. The core of both of these concepts has to do with a communication, of some sort, between the Gods and mortal humans. Dodd classifies them both as "psychic interventions" (p.8). Throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey the characters are commonly described as entering states of "temporary clouding or bewildering of the normal consciousness" (p.5). This state of temporary loss of control is what Dodds means by the term ate. An example of this divine intervention is demonstrated when, in the Iliad, Agamemnon, to compensate for the loss of his own
What Factors Were Most Significant to Roman Health and Medical Practice?
What Factors Were Most Significant to Roman Health and Medical Practice? Rome started being built in 753 BC. Rome first conquered the rest of Italy, and most of the Mediterranean world. By 275 BC it had conquered the Greek cities in Italy. Rome had a very powerful army which needed to be kept healthy, so the Romans started to look into the idea of medical practices. The Romans were not the first civilisation to practice medicine. There is evidence of medical knowledge from the Ancient Egyptians as early as 3000 BC. The most important early Egyptian medical books were the 'Books of Thoth'. They were kept in the temple of Thoth by priests. Thoth was the god of writing and wisdom. None of the books survived, although a medical book called the 'Papyrus Ebers', which dates back to about 1500 BC, was probably based on them. The Greeks had many ideas about medicine as well, like the 'Four Humours', which was the idea that the body was made up of four fluids; blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Hippocrates (460 - 377 BC), a Greek, is acknowledged as the founding father of modern medicine and wrote the Hippocratic corpus, which were a collection of books written by Hippocrates or his followers. A man called Aristotle developed Hippocrates' ideas and the city of Alexandria became a centre of medical development. The library in Alexandria attempted to amass all
czech history
Czech History The history begins in the 6th century, when Slavonic tribes came in our territory. The first state was the Samo's Empire, which was threatened by Avars and Franks. Then the Great Moravian Empire followed. It was probably situated in southern Moravia near the village of Mikulcice. After its desintegration, state activities were concentrated to the Czech Lands. In the 9th century the Cyech Crown Kingdom was established by Premyslid dynasty. Borivoj I. was the first historically documented Czech prince and the last king of Premyslid dynasty was Wenceslas II, who was assassinated in 1306 in Olomouc. After four years of instability John of Luxemborg got the Czech throne by a dynastic wedding. Under the rule of his son, Charles IV., the Czech Kingdom became the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. Prague became the imperial resindence and during this period it flourished and grew. In 1348 Charles IV. founded the University, the New Town and he promoted the construction of the Charles Bridge and the St.Vitus Cathedral. The first of the 15th century was marked by the Husic Movement. It was named after John Hus, rector of the University and a preacher, who tried to reform the Catholic Church. On 6th July 1415 he was burnt as a heretic in Constance. Jan Žižka was the leading representatives of the Husic Movement. He wasn't defeated. John of Podebrady was the first
ART OF INDIA (Khushan Period)
ART OF INDIA (Khushan Period) Art is defined in the Merriam-Webster as the expression of creative skill through a visual medium such as painting or sculpture. Through years people have developed skills and techniques to present their art to the world. But the Ancient art of India was just outstanding, and amazing to look at. One of the interesting time periods I thought was the Khushan period. The name Kushan is derived from the term Guishang, used in Chinese historical writings to describe one branch of the nomadic people, called Yuezhi or Yuechi. The Kushans established their empire in the first century AD. Kushans originated from the Turkistan region of China. It stretched from what is now Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and down into the Ganges river valley in northern India. They moved towards Afghanistan in the 1st century AD. This time period had no uniformity, like some of the other cultures. During the Kushan period in the first to third centuries CE, political, economic, religious, and cultural contact between South Asia and Central Asia greatly accelerated. These relationships gain added significance in the context of cross-cultural relations during the early centuries CE. The art of this time period was very different from the other period in India. This time period included many wall paintings and a lot of stone work. Even though they were not born with
Would it be exaggerating to describe Cupid and Psyche as the “Perfect Fairytale”?
Would it be exaggerating to describe Cupid and Psyche as the "Perfect Fairytale"? The story of Cupid and Psyche is about a young woman named Psyche1 whose beauty reaches far and wide over the known world, "The loveliness of the youngest, however, was so perfect that human speech was too poor to describe or even praise it satisfactory"2 Psyche is so beautiful that people start paying her more attention than they pay the Goddess of love and beauty, Venus. The Goddess Venus grows jealous of the attention that Psyche receives and condems her by ordering her son, Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a perfect outcast of a man. "By the bonds of a mother's love......I implore you....by the sweet wounds of your arrows....punish mercilessly that arrogant beauty.....let this girl be ensnared by a burning love for the lowest of mankind."3 However, this plan fails and secretly Cupid falls in love with Psyche when he accidentally pricks himself on one of his arrows and he secretly marries her with Psyche never knowing whom she has married and never being allowed to look upon her husband. What follows in the story is a series of indecisions placed upon Psyche by her jealous or wicked sisters who eventually trick and persuade Psyche into believing Cupid is a beast. They persuade her, through their jealousy, to sneak a lamp and a knife into the bedchamber at night when her husband
