In the third century AD: epidemic disease spreads throughout
the Empire, it’s too hard to defend frontier against the barbarians, emperors
began to lose their hold in power (stayed in power for an average of two and a
half years, due to wars or assignations), maintaining armies is expensive, too
many poverty-stricken citizens.
284 AD- Diocletian’s reforms: increases the size of army to
400,000 (1/3 bigger than during Augustus’s time, recruited from the ranks of
the barbarians), divided Roman territories into smaller provinces (this new
government had 20,000 officials (10x bigger), they were more dedicated at
collecting higher taxes-this greater yield provided for a larger army).
300 AD: 60 million people in the Roman empire, several
million are Christians, Christianity has quite an appeal to the poor and
disenfranchised, more Christians means more face to face contacts meaning more
conversions leading to more offspring, some Christians are even gaining
positions of power becoming the ruling elite.
Diocletian left Christians alone at first (ruled from
284-305), he undertook the most systematic persecution of all, Constantine
ruled at emperor 306-337
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