terms and people

Question 1

Diocletian

Answer 1

• 242/245 – 311/312, ruled from 284-305
• first emperor to abdicate
• nicknamed Jovius
• stablized the empire
• ended the crisis of the third century
• created the Tetrarchy
• reorganized provincial divisions creating the most bureaucratic Roman government

Question 2

Constantine

Answer 2

• lived 272-337, ruled 306-337
• moved the empire’s capital to the city of Byzantium
• perhaps the first emperor to convert to Christianity

Question 3

Philip the Arab

Answer 3

• 204-249, ruled 244-249
• the first emperor to convert to Christianity?
• short reign was surprisingly stable considering it was during “50 years and 50 emperors” period

Question 4

Byzantium/Constantinople (city)

Answer 4

• created between 324-330 through a series of Roman rites
• Istanbul today
• Capital of the empire
• moved to this location by Constantine as it was the connecting city between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
• infused with Christian thought
• movement addressed the issues of falling apart due to political instability, and foriegn threats
• allowed for governing of the military on a smaller, provincial scale

Question 5

Tetarchy

Answer 5

• Rule of four
• adopted by Diolcletian to ease the power struggles present
• two senior Augusti and two junior Caesars
• Trier +Milan in the West, Antioch +Nikomedeia +Thessalonike in the east

Question 6

Milan

Answer 6

Capital of the Maximian Augustus part of the tetarchic empire

Question 7

Ravenna

Answer 7

• Capital of reconquered, Byzantine Italy from 540
• link between the eastern and western parts of the empire

Question 8

Rome

Answer 8

Capital of the old Roman Empire

Question 9

Naples

Answer 9

• siege of Naples in 536
• against the ostrogoths

Question 10

Belisarius

Answer 10

• reconquered Italy under Justinian I, 530s
• considered the greatest Byzantine general

Question 11

Athens

Answer 11

• symbol of hellinism as they kept sacrifices
• abandoned its namesake virgin goddess to identify with the virgin Mary

Question 12

Nicea

Answer 12

• Christian council held in 325

Question 13

Ephesus

Answer 13

• Theodosius II held an Ecumenical council here, 431AD
• How can Jesus Christ, being part man, not be partially a sinner as well, since man is by definition a sinner since the Fall?
• Jesus, being Logos, transcends human-ness

Question 14

Alexandria

Answer 14

• often in the middle of many power struggles
• octavius vs mark anthony
• vitellius vs vespian
• septimus severus vs pescennius niger
• constatine vs licinius
• capital of the byzantine province of egypt

Question 15

Palmyra

Answer 15

• Palmyrene Empire, small breakaway empire from 260-273 as a kingdom and empire
• ruled by Queen Zenobia, crushed by Aurelian
• in the Byzantine empire, hosted diverse religious communities who lived in peace

Question 16

Antioch

Answer 16

• one of the regional capitals for the tetarchy
• many people there followed Christianity after it’s decriminalization in 313
• five original patriarchates

Question 17

Jerusalem

Answer 17

• one of five original patriarchates