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Augustus reorganized Roman life throughout the empire. He passed laws to encourage marital stability and renew religious practices.
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From Rome, the Christ's Nativity celebration spread to other Christian churches to the west and east, and soon most Christians were celebrating Christ's birth on December 25.
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The Roman Empire reached its greatest extent in 117 CE, under the emperor Trajan. When Trajan died, much of the territory he conquered in Mesopotamia was quickly lost, but from that point on, Rome's frontiers became relatively stable.
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In 313 C.E., Roman emperor Constantine the Great ended all persecution and declared toleration for Christianity. Later that century, Christianity became the official state religion of the Empire.
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The Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476, and the Western imperial court in Ravenna was formally dissolved by Justinian in 554. The Eastern imperial court survived until 1453.
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n 525 Emperor Justin I named his favorite nephew, Justinian, caesar of the Byzantine Empire. In 527 Justinian was elevated to the rank of co-emperor.
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The Great Schism split the main faction of Christianity into two divisions, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Today, they remain the two largest denominations of Christianity.
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Fall of Constantinople, (May 29, 1453), conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. The dwindling Byzantine Empire came to an end when the Ottomans breached Constantinople's ancient land wall after besieging the city for 55 days.