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Dr John R Gibbins WESTERN CIVILISATION: From the Ancient Greeks to the Present. An intellectual and cultural history of the West Part II Towards Byzantium and the late flourishing of the Western Empire: Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius Constantine and Julian (5) Lecture 10 in Series Fiction Sources Harris, Roger, Imperium, 2006 (Cicero/Republic) “ “ , Lustrum, 2009 Graves, Robert, I, Claudius, 1934 (Claudians) Speller, Elizabeth, Following Hadrain, 2002 Vidal, Gore, Julian, 1964 (Late Rome) Man, John, Attila the Hun, 2005 (Final years) Pears, Ian, The Dream of Scipio, eoo2 Goldsworthy, Adrian, In the Name of Rome, 2003 (Great Generals and campaigns) Lecture Themes Decline and Transformation, not Fall of the Western Empire Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Constantine, Julian – the Torch Burns flames The Tribes circle 305-410 – Constantine and Renewal of Empire Empire Divides 293 – Eastern,Western etc – The Four Emperors Movement of Capital from Rome to Ravenna The final demise of Imperial rule in West 411-476 Constantinople, Policy, Church and the Arts/Culture Lesson and Reflections The Roman Heritage audited and assessed Adaptation, Decline not Fall The analysis of our period from AD150-500 is hotly contested My thesis is that central authority from Rome diminished gradually (with reversals eg Hadrian) Wealth and trade profits remained in Provinces Legions recruited more locally, incorporating Tribes Provinces therefore became more diverse and autonomous – Gall Placidia 388-450 married the Goth Alaric, then his brother Athaulf, had his son and toured Gaul as defenders of the Empire Decline was not inevitable, often reversed for periods Final collapse of West was partly accidental when Romulus Augustus surrendered to Odoacer who became King of Italy in AD476 – the end of Roman Imperium in the west Reversals – Trajan Trajan 97-117 in a line to Marcus Aurelius – the Antonine Emperors Responsible for some of the best architecture in Rome Trajan was reputed to enjoy the pleasures but he ruled well and appointed Tacitus to govern Asia His wife Plotina (Plot?) plotted to ensure Hadrian would succeed He was foiled at home by the cost of war with the Dacians (Yugoslavia) and the Parthians (Iraq) and died of illness in Turkey in a rearguard action Plotina put a slave in the sick bed who declared Hadrian the rightful successor. All contenders were then executed Hadrian had a crash course in Latin so he could take over Hadrian 76-138 Emperor AD117-138 followed another reformer Called ‘the Greek’ for his Hellenic leanings and learning Negotiated peace with a hostile Senate, largess to Plebs He reformed the civil service, judiciary and army Rebuilt tax collection and the Treasury The toured the entire Empire including Britain and he likely came to Aldborough as well as York While well married he loved a Antonius a beautiful man whose death led him to be made a God, with compulsory Temple worship across the Empire and a town in Egypt – 1 image of Antonius A poet, musician, Stoic philosopher, unimpressed with Christianity he embraced the Eleusinian mysteries Built an aesthetically formed villa Adriana in Tivoli 20m from Rome that still exists – 2 images; and rebuilt Athens e.g Library and Temple to Zeus at Brassae (Mary Beard’s hot topic) Hadrian’s Legacy Hellenism renewed – in many forms Built civic architecture of great merit Reformed governance and army Increase morale in Provinces and sense of belonging Extended ‘Latin Rights’, or citizenship to more In the field of jurisprudence he codified the laws of Rome which he drafted the Perpetual Edict , which is the basis of all later Roman law but which caused an uprising in Judea as it banned circumcision Last Emperor to invade Germanica and win From here on the German tribes Goths and Visogoths encroach before the Eastern Huns arrive Marus Aurelius on horseback at Campidoglio Rome AD180 guilded in gold and later restored by Michelangelo in 1538 and a copy made Marcus Aurelius 161-180 Hadrian the scholar supported poets and writers such as Antimachus, Fronto, Lucian and Apuleius Born AD121, supported by Hadrian, the Emperor that Gladiator Maximus obeyed till the end against Commodus (180-192) in the film of that name Shared as co-Emperors Augusti with his brother poet Lucius. Happily married with a large family Distracted by frontier wars everywhere he showed brilliance at diplomacy, politics and war Educated as a Greek and Stoic philosopher he appointed scholars to key positions in government e.g. Quintus Rusticus Wrote his Meditations over his life, even on campaigns. Images, Bust as young man; Bust; As Warrior; in Hollywood Meditations Reflections and aphorisms rather than a systematic treatise like Pascal and Montaigne latter Nearest to Epictetus a previous Roman Stoic of repute 12 books with themes of the brevity of life; need to self refection and critique; priority to be placed on moral life; tolerance; reflections on providence and the divine Lessons – avoid distractions; concentrate on tasks; focus on obligations not rights; resign yourself to fortuna and the fates Show fortitude, bravery, seek wisdom, don’t act in haste, make the best of what you have. Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live. A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires. Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig. Begin - to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished. Let men see, let them know, a real man, who lives as he was meant to live. Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present Philosopher King Often envisaged as the embodiment of Plato’s ideal ruler – Matthew Arnold, Cecile Rhodes ‘The greatest of men’ - Voltaire He took advise, sought wise opinion before acting He ruled for the public good first of all ‘ what does not benefit the hive, does not benefit the bee’ He prioritised the public realm over the private in all things; fought against the temptations of power He sought justice when making Treaties His greatest defect was appointing his son Commodus to Augustus alongside himself in 179AD The Military Anarchy After the Severan dynasty 193-235 rule passed to Generals who killed each other on a regular basis by rival Generals or the Praetorian Guard for the privilege 235-284 (Average 2.5 year rule; with 6 Emperors in 238 alone) Frontier wars were fought less for the defence of the Res Publica or Pax Romana than for glory and booty In 234 under Gordian III a Persian army was defeated so relieving pressure in the east, but Gordian was murdered and Phillipus (the Arab) born near Damascus replaced him who lavished money in 248 to mark the 1000 Anniversary of the founding of Rome He founded a new capital Philippolis in Jordan, and started to decentralise administration. The losers rebelled and he was murdered in 238 by Maximinus, the man appointed to defend him One Emperors rule is to be remembered for its unintended Decius Edict of Sacrifice To inspire patriotism and loyalty to the Republic he ordered sacrifices to the Gods for the welfare of the Empire on one day over the entire Empire. Every household had to conform to rules enforced locally (many surviving papyri). Christian communities were opposed to animal sacrifices and set up widespread internal opposition. A Goth army arrived in 250 and Decius and sons were defeated and killed 250-251 was the worst year in Imperial history to date with both invasions and coups. Seeking to divert attention the new Emperor Valerian blamed the Christians for disloyalty and seized their property and ordered active persecutions in 257. Valerian was captured by the Persians, used as a human footstool and eventually he was displayed dead with his skin was stuffed with straw Economics and Trade Henry Chadwick in his reflective last chapter to our set book, notes that some feared Rome’s end in C2ndAd due to environmental changes: Droughts and poor harvests reduced food supplies Populations began to decline Wars created insecurity and diverted resources Trade slowed over the Mediterranean area Usery (interest) and paying bribes began to emerge Only serious efforts at regulating markets, money supply and corruption by Diocletian halted the decline, followed by the injection of gold Constantine was to ransack from Greek Temples The Tetrarchy 284-324 Roman Law was codified well by Gregorius 280-290 Military and administrative pressures began the process to divide the Empire into an Eastern and Western realm each with two Consuls as ruler invented by Diocletian 284-305 (image over) The Empire with 4 Augusti was called the Tetrachy Rivalries were obvious and eventually one ruler emerged as sovereign who was to change the world Constantine I 306-337 son of Constantius I and a barmaid Constanius I –a tetrach, reinvaded Britain and set about the German tribes Diocletian made civil reforms well and retired to Split naming Constantine and Maxentius as dual successors in the West on the basis of desert no inheritance Diocletian Persecutions 303 Diocletian had ordered all Citizens to sacrifice to the Gods with penalties for non conformers – Christians mostly The various churches opposed, e.g. Antioch, with spokesman such as Lactantius 240-320 as leader in Nicomedia who argued this was to do with politics not faith Monetary Reforms were a greater success with new gold and silver coins replacing the old Changed his mind and added Severus as successor annoying his sons In 305 he removed the purple cloak and grew cabbages at home He returned to study philosophy, advising the young and gardening. Died at home in 313 Constantine the Great Rivalries increased in the Tetrachy Constanius sided with Licinius against the others Constantius I in Britain asked fellow prefect Galerius in Rome to return his son Constantine to him. He arrived in Britain in AD 305 just before his father died and was announced Emperor at York by the army in 305 to rule from AD 306-337 Back in Rome the other Tetrachs fought each other until two were left to fight it our Maxentius and Constantine Wanting sovereignty Constantine invaded Italy in 312 from Britain and Gaul – Image over Bust of Constantine Capitoline Museum, Rome Another challenge Sweeping aside the northern armies Constantine arrived at Rome before Maximinus was able to provision the capital for a long siege The armies met at Milvian Bridge on the Tiber with an easy victory for Constantine leaving only Maxentius in opposition Retreating to Turkey followed by Licenius in a hopeless situation he committed suicide Licenious married Constantine’s sister for security But they fell out and war ended with a treaty in 316 Final solution Licenius and Fausta sired a large family of potential heirs – so Constantine finally had him arrested and imprisoned in exile in 324 having him executed later Sensing future disloyalty from Rome, Constantine immediately ordered the building of massive fortifications at Instanbul, naming the new Imperial Capital city Constantinople This marked the informal division of the Empire, with superior status given to the Eastern capital The Byzantine Empire had been born Christianity made Official We now come to an essentially contested and irreconcilable issue of Constantine’s adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Empire Why it is essentially contested is that it divides Roman Catholics since against every other sect and religion in the west – about the exclusive right of the Catholic Church to decide on spiritual matters in the Empire Papal authorities were to insist every since 324 that Constantine’s adoption of Christianity gave the Church the exclusive right to ecclesiastical supremacy and, even more contentiously, to have inherited the exclusive title, powers and authority of Augusti, Emperor of Rome as well as defender of the faith The infamous ‘Donation of Constantine’ document grounds this Constantine and Religion In his early life Constantine was attracted to prophesies, auguries and divine signs which led him to explore many religious systems – in 310 his vision of Apollo and Nike recorded However, animal sacrifice had become a dangerously volatile issue in the Empire as we have seen with Decius In 312 Constantine announced that he was placing more importance upon mens divina or ‘Divince Mind’ in military and political decision making He noticed that his opponents worshiped traditional gods, so Constantine explored the potential of Christianity as an agent of temporal support for the secular world Before battle with Maximus at Rome in 312 he looked for divine sign, and said that the sky revealed a cross, an image with both temporal and secular significance. He ordered the sign put on shields, and the victory was won Constantine and Religion Primary sources divide here: 1) some argue that it was primarily pragmatic; 2) others identify a random weather event that became interpreted as an ’Emblem of Christ Appearing to Constantine’ Rubens sketch for a tapestry series 1630? 3) others argue that the Cross was a traditional icon of Romans; 4) but some (Eusebius 274-339) argue that it was a divine sign that God favoured him and authored his victories after that – quoting Constantine as saying, ‘by this sign conquer In Hoc Signo Vinces Constantine announced Christianity as official and all persecutions of its adherents to end, as Licinius had done before him in the East The following images show him re-caste, first in an icon with his Mother Helena than by Byzantine artists as an assistant to Jesus Unforeseen Consequences Pagan religions were de-prioritised (not banned), benefaction given and Christian Church building began in earnest, including St.Peters in Rome Unknown to Constantine were the vicious cleavages growing amongst Christian leaders on the key articles of faith of the emerging religions. These were to hound not only Constantine but most subsequent temporal and spiritual rulers until today If the benefit to the Empire of Christianity was unity – all would be lost by factionalism and disunity Jesus cannot be blamed for what follows, men can Council of Nicaea 325 In Africa a puritanical group advocating Church, Clergy and member frugality grew – The Donatists. From 313 they challenged Rome’s dominance and despite Councils at Arles the African Church desisted In the East theologians led by Arius (250-336) challenged the whole idea of God made man, by decreeing that everything made of matter was corrupted by sin. This Ayrian faction was only extinguished by terrible persecutions many years latter The Alexandrian faction claimed the Father and Son were the same substance and Jesus was not made man. Constantine in desperation called a Council Bishops at Nicaea who fudged by arguing that the Father and Son were ‘consubstantial’, but the Creed they then drafted is the basis of Christian beliefs ever since. However the heresies continue to this day Constantinople A cosmopolitan venture – all and everyone welcome Aimed to avoid a challenge to Rome so no Senate Separated civil and military commands Privileges for immigrants from the West A new Rome with all civilised features e.g. a Forum Hippodrome theatre to seat 80,000 people New Cathedral the Santa Separated Church and State but the Christian Clergy were deferential to the Emperor who promoted them Images Map; Existing Walls; Medieval Engraving; Hippodrome Remains in C17th; St Sophia Cathedral Family & Civil Discord In 326 Constantine had his wife and son Crispus executed for treason, charges trumped up by Helena his mother. He had murdered 5 family members in total. Constantine repented and did penance, while his mother toured the provinces opening Churches, one being the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem His remaining relatives inherited the Empire for posterity but tensions between centre/s and provinces grew, as did demands by the armies Constantine died in 337, buried in the Church of the twelve Apostles, being baptised on his deathbed The Byzantine Empire was to last into the C15th Diagnosis By 337 the old order was almost extinct The Senate and Senatorial class has dissolved Christianity developed more factions e.g. Nestorianism in far east; Monophysites in middle east; Arab Islam threatened The Army has become powerful, recruiting locally and often disloyal The Equestrian civil service was effective but loosing power, with slaves and tax revenues in decline, others migrating East Power had ascended dangerously to the Emperor, leaving the executive and provinces caught between army and ruler All the time enemies at the frontiers were learning from Roman trained officers that had defected Only one more Caesar brought gory and virtue before decline Emperor Julian 361-3 Born in Constantinople in 331, he survived, like Claudius, by hiding in the reaches of scholarship – Hellenic and Christian He was feted by the Bishop of Alexandria, George of Cappadocia The decendents of Constantine had warred to such an extent that Constanius II in 337 ordered the massacre of all male offspring of Constantius I and Theodora his Empress wife He Constantine II dies I battle with his brother Constans in 350 A usurper Magnetius breaks the west from eastern empire but is killed by Constantius II Julian, the son of the murdereded Constantinius I, is asked in 357 to lead forces against the Gauls, and despite all wins well He rules the west is now trusted, was virtuous and seen as inheritor. Caesar 355-360 Rise Constanius meanwhile dallied in Constantinople in the face of an approaching Persian army under Shapur in 359. Julian was called with his legions, but their fear at being decimated by Constantius or the Persians led to revolt. They proclaimed Julian Emperor of the West and he moved east taking towns on the route Constantius died of fever and Julian reigned His first move was typical of Roman Emperors – to chose his own official religion – namely traditional gods (see Gore Vidal, Julian) For this he was labelled by Christians as ‘ulian the Apostate’ (Image over) Glory or Death Closed Temples were ordered to be re-opened and re-built; sacrifices allowed and occasionally decreed He sent officers to Delphi to consult the Oracle only to get the reply that the flame had been extinguished He allowed exiled and persecuted Christian sects back into the Empire and exercised a policy of religious tolerance in exchange for loyalty to the Empire Julian established an ethos based on the old Roman and Greek virtues of duty, wisdom and strength. He created a basic form of welfare to deal with people dispossessed or impoverished He invaded Persia and defeated Shapur on home ground Death of Rome Julian had not budgeted for the reaction by Christians who not only rejected toleration of heretics and heresies, but who saw their rise to be less than inexorable He annoyed the Jews ordering the rebuilding of their Temple in Jerusalem and Christians in Africa Julian adjudicated disputes between all the divergent forces in the Empire but failed to see his own assassination at the hands of one of his own officers during a military skirmish on the way home from Persia. His successors mis-managed affairs and the West sank into decline until the final acts from 376-411 Fearful that Rome was vulnerable, Imperial authority moved to Ravenna on the East coast, with direct sea routes to the East Many scholars, lawyers, equestrians etc emigrated East In 415 in Alexandra, Africa, the last Chair of the Platonic School, Hypatia, was attacked, stripped of clothes and skin and burnt. Decline or Fall of the West 376-411 With many enemies at the gates the arrival of two more formidable forces was to tip the balance against Rome – the Goths from the north and the Huns from the east. There force was a hoard and a newer, larger and lethal bow A hoard was the mobile mass of many tribes The Goths had partial conversion to Christianity but their Bishop Ufilas was branded a heretic by Rome The Huns were aliens to Rome and its civilisation but traded Emperors such as Valens and Valentine sought to incorporate Goth forces in an alliance against Huns but this failed In 386 Maximus, commander of forces in Britain invaded Italy only to be defeated by Theodosius I 394 Christian Theodosius I attacked pagan Arbogast who was advancing the God Scapis, a Hellenic-Egyptian deity as official Images of Ravenna, city, church, mosaics of horse and Claudians Alaric and the Goths The Romans educated and trained the Goth and Hun officers and armies that were to defeat them Sons of tribal leaders were educated in Rome and trained in the armies to return as Roman rulers. Sons were traded as hostages Alaric returned as Roman invaders, invading Greece in 399 and Italy in 401 to be defeated by Stilicho himself of German extract Another hoard, the Alamanni from the upper Rhine invaded in 406. Stilicho asked Uldin of the Huns to help defeat them Then the Rhine froze in 407 and the a new hoard of Vandals, Alans and Sueves attached. In Britain Constantine II rebelled and took Gaul and the Eastern Empire changed Emperor in 408 In 410 Alaric sided with the Constantine and the Germans inside the Roman army. Retribution by killing German soldiers led to further desertions to Alaric who took Rome with little opposition for the first time in 800 years Aftermath Ravenna remained with Honorius and Government and Theodosius II in Constantinople. Alaric withdrew and died later = some hope? No This is the moment when Augustine of Hippo (St Augustine) delivered his City of God polemic proclaiming all earthly government corrupt, Rome an Empire of the past, the sack as divine retribution for personal sin, and only his Church legitimate Rome is invaded 3 times more from 411-476, Egypt and Africa taken by the Vandals in 439, Ravenna defeated and sacked in 476 Ravenna hosted two female Empress, Galla Placidia (who married a Goth Athaulf) and Pulcheria, daughters of Theodosius in Constantinople. While honest and wonderful at building and welfare, they were not able to build stable alliances Fall? Britain was left with a tiny garrison defending Hadrian’s Wall until withdrawel and Celtic invasion in 407 Gaul luckily succumbed to Visogoth invaders who ruled in a very Roman fashion e.g. St.Seviac Burgundians took over the Rhine area and built on Roman cultures In many colonies the Roman way of life, dress, values, Law, language and culture was maintained It was like a living in a very Grand Hotel where the services declined gradually until you had to look after yourself in domiciles that heralded lost splendour, then the aliens arrive Most residents were loyal, didn’t want it to end, and feared the future, so pretended it was a bad dream Ravenna was a beautiful illusion, like Camelot, an aristocracy in denial, living in fortified splendour, with the enemy at the gate Ravenna’s last stand The western Empire was little more than an elite, with the aura of imperial power, holed up in the mosaic city Empress Pulcheria declared herself a Virgin for life, lived an aesthetic lifestyle and dedicated herself to Marian theology – the cult of the Virgin Mary Sadly she took to persecuting the Jews and Pagans Galla Placidia tried to support Ravenna but her miscalculations led to its defeat, tribute money ran out to placate the Huns, so in 434 when Attila took power the scene was set for the finale in which he was to invade in Gaul and Italy in 441 then 447 Adopting Roman seige techniques he subdued Roman fortified towns but they were harried by General Aetius and Visogoths Gibbon hails General Aetius as like Arthur, the last brave Roman Rome’s last victory was in southern France in 451 when Aetius, with French Visogoths, led by Theodoric, and Attila died later The End Aetius abilities came from knowing his enemies. He was a hostage first of Goth Attila, then the Hun Rugila. But in Ravenna he was feared by the Emperor Valentian whose killed him in 453 While looking north a Vandal fleet from Carthage now landed south near Rome and took the city in 455 A puppet ruler Ricemer (4-5-472) was left in charge for 14 years of occupation In 476 the Eastern Emperor Zeno officially made Odoacer a Hun leader, King of Italy, and the last Emperor in Ravenna, hopefully named Romulus Augustulus surrendered all insignia of Empire and retired Infact Italy now joined the rest of the West in having barbarian rulers – who tried to maintain the West for the East C L Stevens argues that it was the Eastern Emperor who decreed the end of the Western Empire, so legally the Empire continued in the West, The End of the Roman Empire, 1967 Dido’s Revenge When Aeneas left Dido in Carthage she predicted revenge from her people, ‘rise up from my bones avenging spirit’ Virgil Aeneid The fleet from Carthage in 455 is often identified as the avenging spirit and Dido’s revenge on Rome Some argued it was revenge of the old Gods on Rome for abandoning the Temples Infact, it was more the Western People’s Revenge on their fallible despotic rulers. In 264BC the Roman people flocked to Scipio to defend Italy, in 455AD the people were so excluded from everything they were not committed to the defence of the realm. In the East the people fought and died for the Empire Lessons The Huns ‘kicked in a rotten barrel’, corroded from inside by years of corrupt rule that excluded the citizenry. Augustus and the Republic were dedicated to defending and promoting the Res Publica After him Emperors cared little for this, leaving only the private life for citizens welfare (gladiators) Also the lessons of assimilation and incorporation – cosmopolitanism had been lost. Invaders were paid tributes to go away; Foreigners distrusted; loss of tolerance; Jews and heretics were persecuted; citizens lesser rights not prized Britain, shielded by seas, was late in losing its security to enjoy Roman life. Rome was lost when the last legions left Those remaining fought hard for civilisation as they knew it – the origins of the Arthurian legends Much of what they gave us still remains in our lifestyle today Reflection Barrow has a neat Epilogue I have abbreviated and enhanced Roman intellectuals taught that everything is mortal and will pass, including life and Empires – Stoic While showing piety (pietas) - (but not slavish obedience to all gods) and pious respect to others on spiritual matters, they knew they were less than gods and needed secular rules and values to guide them – a practical people The rules adopted were traditional mores (virtu) and Roman Laws, both artefacts of many generations But they knew also that the public life trumped the private life – and that private decadence would follow decline of and exclusion from the Res Publica – belonging fuelled success More Thoughts Perhaps they never got the balance right but they knew that both libertas (public freedom for the people) and duty or selfsubordination to the civitas, Republic or Empire has to be accommodated For this they knew that security was vital and until the end they properly supplied, funded and trained their armies and navy They know that naked power (potestas), while necessary, corrupts so they balanced it with authority/auctoritas the right to rule, and legal constraints To ensure fairness they invented procedures or due process in all things and promoted Equity and fair play in politics and law Lessons In all things, and as exclusion from the public left only the private life for living, Romans learnt that trust or fides, was the basis of reciprocity and social life – and educated each other for that or constantia Friendship (Epircurean) proved the best relationship and area for the pursuit of well being and happiness – amichi (it even trumped marriage) Scholarship, learning, education and training were paced at the centre of life to ensure the lessons above were learned, embodied in everyday life, and transmitted – a sense of gravitas Judgement Romans showed they had human frailties could be cruel and bullying to others (slaves and enemies) and to each other, but they also developed the Hellenic idea of self-respect, and respect for the dignity/dignitas of self and others humanitias Via incorporation of foreigners, graduated entry to citizenship and equal legal rights they showed us how via tolerance and openness, we can create large political units which allow and protect diversity, difference and yet provide security and well being Transformation Ovid had articulated that there are always opportunities for for renewal in disaster The ‘Great Idea’ which is Graeco-Roman civilisation did not die with Rome’s collapse but morph into and spread into new institutions that were to modify, shape and transform the middle ages from Darkness into Light We must now explore these in the lecture series on the exciting and dramatic Medievals Good men were sucked into the East and the Church The core continuities are: Continuities Byzantium – the Roman Empire in the East until 1476 Roman Catholic Church The Bishop of Rome – Pope/Emperor Christian theology based upon Platonism Latin its language Roman Law Humanistic learning and Scholarship The Republican ideal Cosmopolitanism – many in the one and vice versa Holy Roman Empire – Pippin, Charlemagne The Renaissance – re-birth 11th April: Myths of Medieval Europe: From Dark Ages to Petrarch 18th April: The Early Church, St Augustine and the Triumph of Christianity; Latin, Roman Law and the Roman Catholic Church; Byzantium and the Eastern Empire Easter Break 2 weeks - remaining lectures to be held at the Methodist Cottage behind the Methodist Church in the High Street, Northallerton 9th May: Orders and Disorders – Feudalism, Manors and Military elites; Kingdoms and Realms; the Saxons, Vikings, Normans and Tudors, political ideas and the growth of Kingship 16th May: The Aristotelian revival; St Thomas Aquinas and Scholasticism; John of Salisbury, Marsilus and William of Ockam 23rd May: High Medievalism and the Flourishing of Cultures, Manners and the ‘Civilising Process’; Dante and Petrarch; Draft Seminar List Gillian Hovell, The History of Latin Sue Southwell, Vernacular Medieval Architecture in Yorkshire Prof Anthony Pollard, Chivalry and the Nobility (University of Teesside) 23/5/11 Britain’s After Life Roman Britain, R G Collingwood, 1923 If in 407 legions had returned Britain could have stood alone for a while By 360 most big mansions were derelict 380 Wall abandoned 400 most towns were in decline Rearguard actions till 440, then reversion to Celtism Malton and York survive in some form untill later Saxons from the East, Celts from the West and Picts from the North Roman Britain’s were wiped out with marginal survival in SW and Wales No direct link to the Saxons Seminar What did the Romans do for us? What is their legacy? What were their defects? What led to their decline in the west?