Question 1

How important do you think the anti-Christian attitude of Edward Gibbon was in shaping his arguments about the decline of Rome because of the influence of Christianity? Does this negate Gibbon's contributions to the study of Rome?

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Question 2

Consider map 5.4.How could historians use such a map to justify the claim that huge military expenses contributed to the "fall" of the Roman Empire?

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Question 3

Review the "Tacitus on the Powers of Augustus" feature in this chapter.How would you interpret the measures of Augustus? Did he intend to enhance his own power or restore the Republic?

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Question 4

Review the "Tacitus on the Powers of Augustus" feature in this chapter.Can the historian trust Tacitus' account of Augustus given his disillusionment with Rome? Or should the historian consider the Annals a critical but objective commentary?

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Question 5

Early Christianity has often been characterized as an urban religion.Use maps 5.5 and 5.6 to argue for or against this assessment.

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Question 6

Discuss the various explanations for the "decline" of the Roman Empire.Which one do you find most compelling?

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Question 7

How did the reforms undertaken by Diocletian and his successors possibly lead to the collapse of the Empire rather than its salvation?

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Question 8

Did Christianity pose a challenge to the Roman state? How?

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Question 9

Explain the link between the decline of Rome and the rise of persecution of Christians up to and especially during the emperorship of Diocletian.

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Question 10

Most observers now agree that in the first and second centuries
A.D., the Roman Empire faced serious economic and social problems.What were these weaknesses, and why might they have taken two centuries to become apparent?

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Question 11

How does the Sacred Way, pictured in this chapter, reflect the culture of early Imperial Rome?

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Question 12

It is certainly true that the Romans borrowed much of their philosophy and artistic forms from the Greeks.What were the major contributions of the Romans themselves to the heritage of the West?

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Question 13

How does the column pictured in this chapter communicate the power and magnificence of Rome over the barbarians? How does the monumental column glorify Rome? Compare it to the arch also found within the chapter.

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Question 14

Describe social conditions in the Roman Empire.What class divisions existed? How did these divisions manifest themselves in daily life?

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Question 15

How does the statue of Gaius Octavius shown in this chapter convey leadership and military prowess, but also the paternalism of the paterfamilias? What devices are used in the statue to portray this image?

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Question 16

Review the "Augustine Is Brought to His Faith" feature in this chapter.What examples of pagan views on morality and chastity appear in this selection? How did these pagan views influence Augustine's Christian theology?

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Question 17

What aspects distinguish Christianity and Judaism from the "mystery religions," and how do these distinctions help explain the survival of these two religions and the disappearance of the "mystery religions"?

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Question 18

Review the "Augustine Is Brought to His Faith" feature in this chapter.How might Augustine's pre-conversion search for spirituality have predisposed him to convert to Christianity? Do you find this account of his conversion convincing?

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Question 19

When Diocletian decided that the Empire was too large to be ruled by one individual, the Empire had been effectively ruled by one emperor for almost two centuries.What factors explain Diocletian's decision to share rule? What had changed internally and externally between the time of the "five good emperors" and the time of Diocletian?

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Question 20

How does map 5.2 reveal the engineering and architectural sophistication of ancient Rome? What provisions for commercial success and social pleasures can you find?

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Quiz 5: The Empire and Christianity

How important do you think the anti-Christian attitude of Edward Gibbon was in shaping his arguments about the decline of Rome because of the influence of Christianity? Does this negate Gibbon's contributions to the study of Rome?

Consider map 5.4.How could historians use such a map to justify the claim that huge military expenses contributed to the "fall" of the Roman Empire?

Review the "Tacitus on the Powers of Augustus" feature in this chapter.How would you interpret the measures of Augustus? Did he intend to enhance his own power or restore the Republic?

Review the "Tacitus on the Powers of Augustus" feature in this chapter.Can the historian trust Tacitus' account of Augustus given his disillusionment with Rome? Or should the historian consider the Annals a critical but objective commentary?

Early Christianity has often been characterized as an urban religion.Use maps 5.5 and 5.6 to argue for or against this assessment.

Discuss the various explanations for the "decline" of the Roman Empire.Which one do you find most compelling?

How did the reforms undertaken by Diocletian and his successors possibly lead to the collapse of the Empire rather than its salvation?

Did Christianity pose a challenge to the Roman state? How?

Explain the link between the decline of Rome and the rise of persecution of Christians up to and especially during the emperorship of Diocletian.

Most observers now agree that in the first and second centuries A.D., the Roman Empire faced serious economic and social problems.What were these weaknesses, and why might they have taken two centuries to become apparent?

How does the Sacred Way, pictured in this chapter, reflect the culture of early Imperial Rome?

It is certainly true that the Romans borrowed much of their philosophy and artistic forms from the Greeks.What were the major contributions of the Romans themselves to the heritage of the West?

How does the column pictured in this chapter communicate the power and magnificence of Rome over the barbarians? How does the monumental column glorify Rome? Compare it to the arch also found within the chapter.

Describe social conditions in the Roman Empire.What class divisions existed? How did these divisions manifest themselves in daily life?

How does the statue of Gaius Octavius shown in this chapter convey leadership and military prowess, but also the paternalism of the paterfamilias? What devices are used in the statue to portray this image?

Review the "Augustine Is Brought to His Faith" feature in this chapter.What examples of pagan views on morality and chastity appear in this selection? How did these pagan views influence Augustine's Christian theology?

What aspects distinguish Christianity and Judaism from the "mystery religions," and how do these distinctions help explain the survival of these two religions and the disappearance of the "mystery religions"?

Review the "Augustine Is Brought to His Faith" feature in this chapter.How might Augustine's pre-conversion search for spirituality have predisposed him to convert to Christianity? Do you find this account of his conversion convincing?

How does map 5.2 reveal the engineering and architectural sophistication of ancient Rome? What provisions for commercial success and social pleasures can you find?