This lesson introduces Late Antiquity and explains how political instability prompted reforms that helped shift Roman power eastward.
Late Antiquity refers broadly to the transitional period from about 150 to 750 CE, between the ancient and medieval worlds. The period combined continuity with transformation. People in the eastern empire continued to call themselves Romans and maintained aspects of Roman institutions, while Christianity and new regional powers reshaped society.
All flashcards
Late Antiquity
A transitional period, roughly 150–750 CE, when Roman traditions persisted amid major political, religious, and social changes.
Currency devaluation
A reduction in the value of coins that contributed to rising prices and economic instability.
Constantine's public religious image
It combined Christian references with traditional Roman and pre-Christian imagery.
Foederati
Groups bound to Rome by treaty to provide military service in exchange for semiautonomous status.
Hunnic expansion
The westward movement of the Huns pressured other peoples and contributed to migrations into Roman territory.
Quiz questions
What was Diocletian's tetrarchy?Answer: Shared imperial rule by two senior emperors and two junior emperors.
What did the Edict of Thessalonica establish in 380?Answer: Nicene Christianity as the Roman Empire's state religion.
Which combination helps explain why the eastern empire was better positioned than the western empire after 395?Answer: Greater wealth and a shorter stretch of the Danube frontier to defend.
What did the Visigothic sack of Rome in 410 signify?Answer: A major blow to western prestige, but not the immediate end of Roman government.
How do historians who emphasize continuity approach the end of Roman rule in the West?Answer: They examine which institutions and identities persisted as political authority changed.
Based on World History Volume 1, to 1500 by Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson, Julie Tatlock (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.