Dr. David Gwynn

There's no question this support for charity in a world that doesn't have much welfare support matters. So Christian community matters. Bishops are very important to Roman government, not least because the Roman Empire is split into these small provinces and there's a governor in charge of each. But a governor is not usually in office for more than one, perhaps two years.

A bishop is for life once they're appointed. So the bishop of Alexandria, for example, the great city in Egypt, can be a much more influential figure than the annual governor. Because a bishop like Athanasius of Alexandria, who's a bishop for 45 years, has a degree of support structures that the government system can't necessarily manage.

A bishop is for life once they're appointed. So the bishop of Alexandria, for example, the great city in Egypt, can be a much more influential figure than the annual governor. Because a bishop like Athanasius of Alexandria, who's a bishop for 45 years, has a degree of support structures that the government system can't necessarily manage.

A bishop is for life once they're appointed. So the bishop of Alexandria, for example, the great city in Egypt, can be a much more influential figure than the annual governor. Because a bishop like Athanasius of Alexandria, who's a bishop for 45 years, has a degree of support structures that the government system can't necessarily manage.

So it can be a major asset, but only, of course, if church and empire are working together. And the problem there is that Christianity, in this post-process of enormous growth, also had to re-decide what it was. This is the great age of Christian definition. All the questions that Christians had been debating before Constantine suddenly became much more important.

So it can be a major asset, but only, of course, if church and empire are working together. And the problem there is that Christianity, in this post-process of enormous growth, also had to re-decide what it was. This is the great age of Christian definition. All the questions that Christians had been debating before Constantine suddenly became much more important.

So it can be a major asset, but only, of course, if church and empire are working together. And the problem there is that Christianity, in this post-process of enormous growth, also had to re-decide what it was. This is the great age of Christian definition. All the questions that Christians had been debating before Constantine suddenly became much more important.

What books should be in the New Testament still had to be finally decided. What do Christians believe is orthodoxy, right belief? What's going to happen to heretics, wrong believers, now that the Roman emperor is a Christian and therefore has a divine injunction to enforce the correct form of Christianity?

What books should be in the New Testament still had to be finally decided. What do Christians believe is orthodoxy, right belief? What's going to happen to heretics, wrong believers, now that the Roman emperor is a Christian and therefore has a divine injunction to enforce the correct form of Christianity?

What books should be in the New Testament still had to be finally decided. What do Christians believe is orthodoxy, right belief? What's going to happen to heretics, wrong believers, now that the Roman emperor is a Christian and therefore has a divine injunction to enforce the correct form of Christianity?

So there's going to be divisions within the Christian church, but those divisions are going to impact on wider history.

So there's going to be divisions within the Christian church, but those divisions are going to impact on wider history.

So there's going to be divisions within the Christian church, but those divisions are going to impact on wider history.

It's always very difficult comparing armies from multiple periods because in some levels, say the sheer strength of its infantry, Yes, the 4th century army is weaker than, say, its 1st century AD counterpart. It's not as uniformly recruited or equipped, although they still have imperial factories, so the equipment's been altered. It doesn't have the sheer density of the legions.

It's always very difficult comparing armies from multiple periods because in some levels, say the sheer strength of its infantry, Yes, the 4th century army is weaker than, say, its 1st century AD counterpart. It's not as uniformly recruited or equipped, although they still have imperial factories, so the equipment's been altered. It doesn't have the sheer density of the legions.

It's always very difficult comparing armies from multiple periods because in some levels, say the sheer strength of its infantry, Yes, the 4th century army is weaker than, say, its 1st century AD counterpart. It's not as uniformly recruited or equipped, although they still have imperial factories, so the equipment's been altered. It doesn't have the sheer density of the legions.

On the other hand, during the 3rd century crisis, the Romans did learn a number of military lessons. That included, firstly, cavalry now matters much more than it did before. So the 3rd century and then the 4th century army has a much stronger cavalry arm than the earlier empire did. Big block legions, 5,500 men, work fine under certain conditions.

On the other hand, during the 3rd century crisis, the Romans did learn a number of military lessons. That included, firstly, cavalry now matters much more than it did before. So the 3rd century and then the 4th century army has a much stronger cavalry arm than the earlier empire did. Big block legions, 5,500 men, work fine under certain conditions.

On the other hand, during the 3rd century crisis, the Romans did learn a number of military lessons. That included, firstly, cavalry now matters much more than it did before. So the 3rd century and then the 4th century army has a much stronger cavalry arm than the earlier empire did. Big block legions, 5,500 men, work fine under certain conditions.

But when you're trying to protect a very wide frontier, more smaller groups work more easily. So one feature that seems to emerge with Diocletian and Constantine is you get an increase in the number of legions, which used to be argued to mean, oh, look, the army's getting much bigger.