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226
Persecution of Christians
Christians first began being persecuted by Emperor Nero, who ordered their destruction. They were used as scapegoats for the emperor's own mistakes and wrongdoings. Diocletian sacrificed Christians to appease the gods, as if they were the cause of his problems. This continued until the rule of Constantine, when they finally stopped. -
235
Rule of Diocletian
Diocletian ruled in a way unlike the previous rulers. He was a reclusive monarch, unlike the military leaders of the past. He divided the empire in two in order to make it easier to protect and control the empire. He made a system of successors known as a tetrarchate. He increased the army size to defend Rome and to do this, he put taxes and established a form of currency. -
306
Rule of Constantine
After defeating Maxentius and Licinius, Constantine became the emperor. He defended Rome against many raids from raiding barbarian tribes. He made the capital of Rome Constantinopole. Also, Constantine was the first Christian Roman Emperor, having converted and marked the beginning of the Christian influence in Rome. -
313
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan stopped the persecution of Christians. It was ordered by Constantine when he converted to Christianity. This made Christianity a perfectly fine and acceptable religious belief. The Christians began to prosper and grew into an extremely powerful group, the Catholic Church. -
360
Barbarian Organization
The barbarian tribes around Rome (Visigoths, Franks, Goths) began to launch better and well planned attacks, which tested the capacity of Rome's defenses. The emperors were hard pressed to fend off the invaders. These increasingly powerful raids may have brought upon the decline of the Roman empire. -
366
First Plebian Consul
Plebians have always been treated badly by the Patricians due to their class differences. However, when they finally took a stand, they got their place in society by being able to make political decisions. The consul was able to voice the needs of the plebians and hopefully grant them. -
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius was born in 121. He was adopted by the Emperor Antoninus Pius in 138. Marcus became Emperor himself in 161, at first with Lucius Verus, becoming sole Emperor in 169 when he died. Continual attacks meant that much of his reign was spent on campaign, especially in central Europe. He died in 180. -
Rule of Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus was a general who took leadership of Rome after Pertinax died. One of his major feats was equalizing the status of all free men in his empire. After he died, his relatives continued ruling until 235.
