Prelude: The Roman World Transformed (300-600) - The Provincialization of the Empire (250-350)

8 important questions on Prelude: The Roman World Transformed (300-600) - The Provincialization of the Empire (250-350)

Which two groups bore down the frontiers of the Empire during the crisis in the third century?

  • From the east came the Persians, an ancient culture ruled by a king whose pride and pretensions were as great as those of the Roman emperors.
  • From the north, beyond the Rhine and Danube Rivers, came diverse peoples whom the Romans dubbed "barbarians," a demeaning term signifying "not us" - not Roman citizens, not Latin- or Greek-speaking.

What did the Romans change in their recruitment for the army and why?

  • The supply was dwindling: the birthrate was declining, and 252-267 an epidemic of smallpox ravaged the population further.
  • Recruits would have to come from farther away, from Germania (the region beyond the northern borders of the Empire) and elsewhere.
  • Hence, the Roman government began a new policy: it settled Germanic and other barbarian groups within the Empire, giving them land in return for military service.

What challenges did the Empire face?

  • The challenges faced by the Empire were not only the outside invaders, but also the internal woes of disease and political turmoil.
  • Suffering from a pandemic (likely a viral hemorrhagic fever) that began mid-century and persisted for about twenty years, the Empire also endured a political succession crisis.
  • Between the years 235 and 284, more than twenty men were declared emperor; none lasted long.
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Why did Emperor Maximian (286-305) turn Milan into a new capital city?

  • The city of Rome itself was too far from any of the fields of war to serve as military headquarters.
  • For this reason, Emperor Maximian (286-305) turned Milan into a new capital city, complete with an imperial palace, baths, walls, and circus.
  • Soon other favoured cities - Trier, Sardica, Nicomedia, Constantinople (formerly Byzantium), and much later Ravenna - joined Milan in overshadowing Rome.

What did the Roman government do to meet the demand of money for provinces?

  • The Roman government debased the currency, increasing the proportion of inferior metals to silver. While helpful in the short term, this policy produced severe inflation.
  • Strapped for cash, the state increased taxes and used its power to requisition goods and services.
  • To clothe the troops, it confiscated uniforms; to arm them, it set up factories staffed by artisans who were required to produce a regular quota of weapons (spears, short swords, shields) for the state.
  • Food for the army had to be produced and delivered; here too the state depended on the labor of growers, bakers, and haulers.

What did Emperor Gallienus (253-268) do?

  • Emperor Gallienus (253-268) forbade the senatorial aristocracy - the old Roman elite - to lead the army.
  • Tougher men from the ranks were promoted to command positions, and some became emperors. They brought provincial tastes and sensibilities to the very heart of the Empire.

What was Classical Roman art based on?

  • Classical Roman art was based on the Hellenistic models and styles that had been introduced to regions east of Greece by Alexander the Great and his successors.
  • After Greece became part of the Roman Empire in 133 BCE, those styles were emulated by Roman artists.

What provinces asserted themselves artistically im spite of Rome's influence?

Britain and North Africa.

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