Download 16 Lecture 2 Early R..

Lecture 2: Early Roman
Imperial History
Dr. Ann T. Orlando
8 Sept. 2016
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Introduction
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Study of History and Augustine
Alexander the Great and Greek
kingdoms
Establishment of Roman Empire
History in New Testament
Two cities, and was Rome ever a
commonwealth?
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History as part of Theology
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History has several layers
1. Facts of what happened when
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2. Proximate causes
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New religion
4. Providence
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Roman imperial concerns about Jewish insurgents
Jewish priestly class (Sadducees) concern about renegade Jewish
sects upsetting their relation with Romans
3. Secular historical result
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Jesus of Nazareth crucified c. 33 AD
Salvation for mankind
Secular historians are generally concerned with 1 and 2,
maybe 3. We are concerned with 1-4
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Our Guide in First Part of
Course: Augustine of Hippo
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The greatest western Christian
theologian
First to think deeply and systematically
about Christian history
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Providence
Plan of salvation in history
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Brief Biographical Sketch
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Born near Carthage in 354 to a devoutly Catholic mother (St.
Monica) and worldly father (Patrick)
In youth leads a life of pleasure searching for happiness
 Flirts with Manichaeism (11 years)
 Becomes enamored with Platonism (really neoPlatonism)
Conversion to Catholic Christianity and is baptized
Ordained priest 391, bishop of Hippo 395
Died on 28 August 430 (now celebrated as his feast day)
Peter Brown’s book Augustine of Hippo remains the most important
biography of Augustine in English
 Be sure to get the New Edition with Epilogue
 Discusses discovery of 12 previously unstudied letters and
sermons of Augustine (396-404)
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Political and Military Situation
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At beginning of 4th Century, Empire united under
Diocletian and Constantine
Throughout 4th Century civil wars among
Constantine’s sons and successors
Theodosius the Great reunites the Empire
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Last Emperor of ‘entire’ Roman Empire
Barbarian invasions begin in West late 4th C, key
moment is sack of Rome in 410
Empire become divided East (capital, Constantinople)
and West (capital, Rome and Milan)
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Western Roman Empire ceases to exist 476
Eastern Roman Empire ceased to exist 1453
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The Sack of Rome
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Sack of Rome in 410 to Alaric had a huge psychological impact
The Goths sacking Rome were Arian Christians
“My voice sticks in my throat, and as I dictate, sobs choke my
utterance. The City which had taken the whole world, was
itself taken.” St. Jerome
Augustine dies as the Vandals (Arians) are besieging Hippo
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Vandal conquest of North Africa leads to destruction of Donatists
City of God against the Pagans
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Augustine’s efforts to explain history and refute criticism of
Christianity
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Augustine
Over-Arching View of Church
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Man as a naturally social, not political being
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Love, not justice, should be the dominant virtue in the good
society
Before the Fall, there was no hierarchy of dominance;
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Slavery is a result of sin
Political governments (of any type) is needed because of sin
Mixed good and bad (wheat and tares) in Church
Church mixed with society (city of man)
Church as the City of God
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Exists as a pilgrim band traveling throughout human history
(time)
Exists permanently as a joyful community in eternity
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Augustine: What is the Church
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When did it begin: with Abel
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Cain founder of city of man
Abel, first member of City of God; proto
priest and martyr
Noah’s ark as the City of God
Holy man is a shepherd, not a king
The Church can be said to begin in the
OT due to the action of the Holy Spirit
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Augustine: Pilgrim People
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People of God, the Church, are not members of city of man
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Pilgrimage as a way of life
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We travel together
We support each other
Everyone belongs to one of two cities
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For individuals
For Church
Social enterprise
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Sojoiners (like Abel)
That is, Pilgrims
City of God, the Church, on pilgrimage
City of this world
CoG I
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What is a Pilgrim?
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Pilgrim, or peregrinus, is not so much a
traveler, as a resident foreigner
From 3rd C on, peregrinus was an
‘order’ or class in the Roman Empire
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Before the 3rd C most residents of the
Empire were peregrini
Only in 3rd C were most residents given
Roman citizenship
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Translations of City of God
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Marcus Dods, Modern Library (1886)
Henry Bettenson, Penguin (1943)
R. W. Dyson, Cambridge (1998)
William Babcock, New City Press, 2 vol.
(2013)
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Roman Imperial History Before
Augustine and Sack of Rome
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Alexander the Great
Rise of Roman Republic
Roman Empire
Rome and Palestine
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Alexander the Great and Greek
Kingdoms
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Alexander the Great (356-323 BC)
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Son of Philip of Macedonia; Student of Aristotle
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Conquers the ‘world’ by age of 33
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Founds Alexandria, Egypt center of learning for next 600 years
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Dies in 323 BC; leaving his generals in charge of various parts of
his conquests
Hellenistic (Greek) Empires 323 – 31 BCE
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Macedonians: Greece, Sicily, southern Italy
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Seleucids: Asia Minor, Syria and Mesopotamia
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Ptolemies: Egypt and Cyrene
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As a result of this extended period of Greek rule, the ‘lingua franca’
of the Mediterranean was Greek from the 4th C BC until the 5th C
AD in the West and the 15th C in the East
Israel between two major competing Empires: Seleucid and Ptolemy
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Map of Conquests of
Alexander Great
http://library.thinkquest.org/10805/alexmap.html
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Persia
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First Persian Empire, Achaemenid, 550-330 BC
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Second Persian Empire, Parthia, 250 BC – 224 AD
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Founded by King Cyrus the Great who defeats the Babylonians who allows Jews to
return to Jerusalem (see Ezra and Nehemiah)
Development of Zoroastrianism
Defeated by Alexander the Great
Earliest enemies were Seleucids (Greek Kingdom from Alexander the great)
Cult of Mithras developed
Then in conflict with Rome
Rome very successful against Parthia in 2nd C AD, leading to over-throw of Parthians in
civil war with the Sassanids
Third Persian Empire, Sassanian, 224 AD – 651AD
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Very successful against Romans
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In 253 Sassanid Shah Shapur captured Roman Emperor Valerian; made him his footstool. Then had
him executed, stuffed and put on display.
In 363 Julian the Apostate killed by Persians in battle
Manichaeism established c. 250 AD (Mani killed by Persians as apostate from
Zoroastrianism)
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Rome
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Traditional founding date of 753 BC
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Started as a Republic ruled by Senate
Two Punic Wars,
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Brothers Romulus and Remus
Rome conquers and destroys Carthage 202 BC
Rome becomes dominant power in Western Mediterranean
Maccabees ask Rome for help against Seleucids 160 BC
Julius Caesar conquers Gaul 80 BC
Octavian defeats Anthony and Cleopatra (last Ptolemy ruler of
Egypt) at Actium in 31 BC;
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Roman Empire established
Roman Empire existed in some form between 31 BC and 1453 AD
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Expansion of Roman Empire
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Hellenism
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The dominance of Greek language, learning,
philosophy, culture in Mediterranean
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Dominance is bolstered by Roman imperial power
Jewish response
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Begins with Alexander the Great
Ends with rise of Islam (Latin and Arabic replace Greek)
Complete rejection by orthodox Judaism
Complete assimilation by Alexandrian and Greek Jews
Orthodox Christianity will completely assimilate
Hellenism
See Benedict XVI Regensburg Speech 12 Sept. 2006
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Roman Society
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Roman religion was a public, civic obligation;
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Roman Emperor increasingly was a general who was ‘adopted’ by
current Emperor (Octavian Augustus adopted by Julius Caesar).
Cult of Roman Emperor as god in his lifetime was started by Nero
Roman household was composed of patron (father) and clients (wife,
children, slaves, business associates dependent upon him)
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NOT a way to have a personal relationship with Divine
‘mystery religions’ became very popular in 1st through 3rd Century Roman
Society (Cults of Mithra; Isis and Osiris; Dionysius)
Anyone who did not offer sacrifice for the good of the state was considered
an atheist
Father had complete control of clients
Adoption was very common
Owning property was far more prestigious than commerce
Excellent road and mail system throughout the Empire
Note that the most Latin (least Greek) part of the Empire was North
Africa
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Importance of Battle of Actium
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Before Octavius Augustus, Rome was a Republic
ruled by Senate
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After Battle of Actium (31 BC) Octavius Augustus
becomes emperor and dictator.
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Octavius was the adopted son of Julius Caesar
His descendents will rule Roman Empire until the murder of
Nero (68 AD)
Battle of Actium also marks end of Ptolemais in Egypt
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Cleopatra last Ptolemy
Tried to maintain her rule in Egypt first by being consort of
Julius Caesar, then Mark Antony
Cleopatra commits suicide after Battle of Actium is lost
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First Century Roman Emperors
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Julio-Claudian Emperors (31 BC to 68 AD)
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Starts with Augustus, ends with Nero’s suicide
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Consolidation of Empire won by Augustus
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Succession hereditary; intra-family rivalries, often deadly
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After Augustus, increasingly demonic emperors; Nero worst of all (read
I,Claudius for a fictionalized but accurate account)
Flavian Emperors (Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian)
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Destruction of Jerusalem Temple, 70
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Vespasian built the Coliseum
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Domitian was particularly ruthless against enemies, real and imagined
NB Nero and Domitian were the only emperors that the Senate of Rome did
not declare gods
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Herod the Great (73 to 4 BC)
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His father, Antipater, was placed in power by Romans
Herod grew up (‘hostage’) in Rome
Friend with both Octavian and Antony
Becomes client king of Romans
Exerts great power in Palestine, including massive
building projects
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Second Temple precinct
Cities of Caesarea and Tiberius
Palaces in Jerusalem, Masada
When he dies, Romans divide his kingdom among his
sons with a Roman administrator
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Brief History of First Century AD
Roman Provence of Palestine
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Friction among Herod’s sons (Herod Anipater, Herod Antipas,
Archelaus)
Friction among various Jewish groups over relation with Rome
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Priests and aristocracy in Jerusalem
Pharisees
Essenes
Zealots
Frictions make Palestine a contentious place, with several
localized tax rebellions
One major First Century War: First Jewish War 66 – 73 AD
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Starts in Galilee, but spreads throughout Palestine
Nero appoints Vespasian and his son Titus as Roman generals
Destruction of Second Temple in 70 AD
Fall of Masada in 73 AD
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Luke: History of Church in
New Testament
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Paul’s disciple, Luke, writes an ‘ordered account’ in two Books, the
Gospel and Acts of the Apostles
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Written in an ancient historical style;
Some important historical references in Luke
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Note references to Herod the Great and Augustus; Luke 1 and 2
Prophesy of destruction of Temple; Luke 19:41-44, 21:20-24
Jesus condemned for political insurrection; Luke 23:1-4
Some important historical references in Acts
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Pentecost, the ‘birthday of Church;’ Acts 2
Reference to St. Stephen and the Hellenists; Acts 6-7
Council of Jerusalem in which Paul’s position that Gentiles do not
need to convert to Judaism is affirmed; Acts 15
Paul arguing with Athenian philosophers; Acts 17:16-33
Story of how the Church was spread by Paul’s missionary activity to
the ends of the earth (i.e., Rome)
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Assignment
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Hitchcock, Chapter 1
CoG I.1, XIV.25-28, City of God and City of Man
CoG, XV.5: Cain as the founder of city of man
CoG, XIX.21, 24-28: Was Rome ever a true
commonwealth?
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