Note, most quotes come from the Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd Edition Revised. I accessed it from the U of M catalog. Constitutio Antoniniana (Edict of Caracalla) ============================================ Edict making "all free men and women in the empire Roman citizens." "The law declared that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be given full Roman citizenship and all free women in Empire were given the same rights as Roman women were." * Under Caracalla * Cassius Dio says it was "I want more people to tax" * Some say religious motives * Some say that this wasn't really that important * They took Roman names Marcus Aurelius =============== * Reign: AD 161 - 180 * Born 121 * Co-Augustus with adopted brother Lucius Verus * After Lucius defeated Parthians, a plague broke out "in the eastern army" * Went to the Danube, after delay from plague, to relieve them * Marcus planned to "annex territory beyond the Danube" in 170, failed completely * Wrote Meditations, a Greek "to himself" where he recorded "reflections on human life and the ways of the gods"; famous. * Married to Faustina * "Marcus has been universally admired, as a philosopher-ruler, to the present day, criticized only for leaving his unworthy son as successor." Aurelian ======== * "Achieved high military rank under Gallienus, but helped organize the plot that destroyed him" - * Renamed someone to Sullan Victus * Succeeded Claudius II in 270 * Recovered Gaul and Britain * Assassinated Diocletian ========== * Emperor 284 - 305 * Of low birth, appointed by army * Reorganized empire to resist barbarians: tetrarchy. Divided provinces * Changed taxes * The Great Persecution (see below) The Great Persecution ===================== * AD 303 * Under Diocletian * Burning of scriptures, demolition of churches, banning of worship meetings, no ranks Eusebius of Nicomedea ===================== * Baptized Constantine * Bishop of Nicomedea, bishop of Constantinople (in the 300s) * After Constantine exiled him and he came back, he became Constantine's "religious guy" -- personal chaplin, maybe * Supported Arius Eusebius of Caesarea ==================== * AD 260 - 339 * "Prolific writer, biblical scholar and apologist, effective founder of the Christian genres of Church history and chronicle, and the most important contemporary source for the reign of Constantine I" * Wrote Chronicle in Greek, coordinating Christian and pagan events * He knew Constantine * He was a Bishop of Caesarea Nymphidius Sabinus ================== * Claimed to be son of emperor Gaius * Likely commanded regiment in Pannonia and later became tribune in the guard * Made praetorian prefect in 65 * Made a conspiracy to desert Nero for Galba, but Galba refused his money and he was killed by fellow praetorians Flavians ======== * Imperial dynasty in Rome * Vespasian (69 - 79), sons Titus (79 - 81), Domitian (81 - 96) * Vespasian restored order after governmental chaos of 69 * Helped to restore empire's stability but emperors got more power, senators less Elagabalus ========== * Emperor from AD 218 - 222 * Put in place by his mom at the Battle of Antioch, at age 14 * Married a lot, homosexuality * Assassinated at 18 and replaced by Severus Tetrarchy ========= * Things were divided into 4 regions * Diocletian * There was an Augustus (somewhat analogous to president) and a vice-president, Caesar. One for east, one for west. Battle of the Milvian Bridge ============================ * 28 October 312 * Battle between Constantine I and Maxentius, Constantine wins and ends tetrarchy * On a bridge over the tiber * Marked the beginning of Constantine's conversion to Chrstianity * Decisive battle * Constantine saw a vision before the battle which inspired his move to Christianity Fausta ====== * Wife of Constantine * Her dad is Maximian -- creates alliance * "Pawn" in dynastic marriage * Constantine, Constans, Constantious, etc. * More loyal to Constantine than to her father Licinius ======== * Reign: 308 - 324 * He was Augustus in the east, but there were more than them at this time * He's the guy that Constantine ends up splitting the empire with * Executed by Constantine * Augustus in west, collaborated on edict of "Milan" with Constantine, the wars (that they existed and maybe when they happened) * "The wars existed" Sapor I ======= * AD 240 - 272 * King of Persia * Captured Valarian in a betrayal * Sparks universal Roman hatred of Persians Constantius II ============== * Son of Constantine I and Fausta * Became Augustus in east in 337 - 361 * Spent a lot of time fighting Persians in northern Mesopotamia (Antioch) * Defeated Alamanni in 354 * Displaced Ursicinus * Ammianus thought he was a jerk Ammianus Marcellinus ==================== * AD 330 - 395 * Present at Amida * Persia * Provides a history of Julian * Biases? * Wrote histories after his retirement * Pagan * Histories are major account for Constantius II and Julian and some of the later dudes Constantinople ============== * "Constantinople was founded by Constantine I on the site of Byzantium in ad 324, shortly after his victory over Licinius near by." * Modern-day Istanbul, Turkey * Constantine's tetrarchic capital * Christian area but there were some Pagan temples too Helena ====== * Wife of Constantius I and mother of Constantine. * Went to the east and Palistine and she had like a massive new church program, found parts of the cross * Separate the nitty-gritty dynastic politcs from what she's said to have done * Constantine's mom * Went on pilgrimage to Judea * Said to have found parts of the true cross * Eusebius doesn't mention that, though, so he probably doesn't think it's true * Unclear if she was married to Constantius I or just a concubine Maxentius ========= * Maximinus and Maxentius get one half * Son of Maximian * Became princeps in 306, Augustus at Rome in 307 * Father of Fausta who he married to Constantine I as a bargaining chip * Tolerated Christianity and gave them back some property * Drowned Antonius Primus =============== * General of Galba's who goes over to Vespasian * Brings legions of Pannonia (on the Danube) to Vespasian's side * Military * Pretty smart in 68 but gets politically outmaneuvered by Vespasian * Helps Vespasian take throne Fabius Valens ============= * Suffect consul in 69 * Legionary commander in lower Germany in 68 * Supported Galba * Was originally loyal to Galba but switched to Vitellius * On Vitellius's side * Convinced German legions to support Vitellius Council of Nicea ================ * Held in 325 in modern-day Turkey * Constantine I calls bishops of Roman empire to first conference of early Christian church * They make the Nicene Creed: "these are the things we believe" and basically hash out what they really believe Edict of Milan ============== * Edict of religious toleration to religions and "Christians, give shit back" * Issued by Constantine I and Licinius after a meeting in Milan in 313 Amida ===== * 359 * Siege that allowed Constantius II that allowed Ursicinus to get fired. Basically, Constantius seems to screw him * Part of Sapor II's invasion * Ammianus was primary witness. He uses it as a case study to explore how Constantius II was a jerk