Dr. David Gwynn

None of the four rulers use Rome. Actually, they hardly ever even visit it. And yet, Rome remains symbolically, psychologically important. It is the old imperial city. The Tetrarchs built monuments there. One of Constantine's most famous surviving monuments is still standing next to the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine.

None of the four rulers use Rome. Actually, they hardly ever even visit it. And yet, Rome remains symbolically, psychologically important. It is the old imperial city. The Tetrarchs built monuments there. One of Constantine's most famous surviving monuments is still standing next to the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine.

None of the four rulers use Rome. Actually, they hardly ever even visit it. And yet, Rome remains symbolically, psychologically important. It is the old imperial city. The Tetrarchs built monuments there. One of Constantine's most famous surviving monuments is still standing next to the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine.

Constantius II, Constantine's longest surviving son, who was mainly based in the East, made a famous entry into Rome with his army, an adventus, an imperial procession. Ammianus Marcellinus, who doesn't like Constantius, nonetheless loves Rome, the city, and gives us a brilliant description of that adventus. So Rome still psychologically mattered.

Constantius II, Constantine's longest surviving son, who was mainly based in the East, made a famous entry into Rome with his army, an adventus, an imperial procession. Ammianus Marcellinus, who doesn't like Constantius, nonetheless loves Rome, the city, and gives us a brilliant description of that adventus. So Rome still psychologically mattered.

Constantius II, Constantine's longest surviving son, who was mainly based in the East, made a famous entry into Rome with his army, an adventus, an imperial procession. Ammianus Marcellinus, who doesn't like Constantius, nonetheless loves Rome, the city, and gives us a brilliant description of that adventus. So Rome still psychologically mattered.

And that, of course, is exactly what we'll see in the sack of Rome in 410. The Gothic sack of Rome didn't cripple Roman power. It wasn't attacking the heart of government. But the shockwave that the sack of Rome in 410 sent across the Mediterranean. You see in Jerome declaring that the end of the world must be coming. Augustine in Africa is going to right the city of God.

And that, of course, is exactly what we'll see in the sack of Rome in 410. The Gothic sack of Rome didn't cripple Roman power. It wasn't attacking the heart of government. But the shockwave that the sack of Rome in 410 sent across the Mediterranean. You see in Jerome declaring that the end of the world must be coming. Augustine in Africa is going to right the city of God.

And that, of course, is exactly what we'll see in the sack of Rome in 410. The Gothic sack of Rome didn't cripple Roman power. It wasn't attacking the heart of government. But the shockwave that the sack of Rome in 410 sent across the Mediterranean. You see in Jerome declaring that the end of the world must be coming. Augustine in Africa is going to right the city of God.

So Rome symbolically does matter. But no, it is not the political, military, government part of the empire, and indeed already wasn't by the time of the tetra.

So Rome symbolically does matter. But no, it is not the political, military, government part of the empire, and indeed already wasn't by the time of the tetra.

So Rome symbolically does matter. But no, it is not the political, military, government part of the empire, and indeed already wasn't by the time of the tetra.

And the rise of Christianity in the 4th century is one of the great transition points, indeed for later Western history. In AD 300, during the Tetrarchy, Christians are a small minority, perhaps 10% of the empire's 60 million population, so around 6 million Christians. And they're about to suffer an attempted, failed, empire-wide persecution of Diocletian.

And the rise of Christianity in the 4th century is one of the great transition points, indeed for later Western history. In AD 300, during the Tetrarchy, Christians are a small minority, perhaps 10% of the empire's 60 million population, so around 6 million Christians. And they're about to suffer an attempted, failed, empire-wide persecution of Diocletian.

And the rise of Christianity in the 4th century is one of the great transition points, indeed for later Western history. In AD 300, during the Tetrarchy, Christians are a small minority, perhaps 10% of the empire's 60 million population, so around 6 million Christians. And they're about to suffer an attempted, failed, empire-wide persecution of Diocletian.

Then in 312, so less than a decade after the Great Persecution began in 303, Constantine, for whatever reason, because it will always be debated, begins to support Christianity. By the end of the fourth century, Christians are the clear-cut majority of the Roman population. So they have gone from 6 million to, give or take, perhaps 40 million in the space of two, perhaps three generations.

Then in 312, so less than a decade after the Great Persecution began in 303, Constantine, for whatever reason, because it will always be debated, begins to support Christianity. By the end of the fourth century, Christians are the clear-cut majority of the Roman population. So they have gone from 6 million to, give or take, perhaps 40 million in the space of two, perhaps three generations.

Then in 312, so less than a decade after the Great Persecution began in 303, Constantine, for whatever reason, because it will always be debated, begins to support Christianity. By the end of the fourth century, Christians are the clear-cut majority of the Roman population. So they have gone from 6 million to, give or take, perhaps 40 million in the space of two, perhaps three generations.

That's an amazing stat right there. I mean, it's supercharged on steroids. Exactly. I mean, it should be said... The fact that Christians actually got from nought to six million in the first 300 years actually makes them the fastest growing religious movement the ancient world had ever actually seen. Islam is going to change the scale considerably.

That's an amazing stat right there. I mean, it's supercharged on steroids. Exactly. I mean, it should be said... The fact that Christians actually got from nought to six million in the first 300 years actually makes them the fastest growing religious movement the ancient world had ever actually seen. Islam is going to change the scale considerably.