struggles in roman empire after pax romana

In the third century AD
*epidemic disease spreads throughout the Empire
*its too hard to defend the frontier against the barbarians
*emperors began to lose their hold on power- stayed in power for an average of two and a half years, due to wars an assassination
*maintaining armies is expensive
*still to many poverty-stricken citizens
*284 AD-Diocletian reforms
*increase the size of the army to 400,000
is one third bigger during Augustus time
*recruit from the ranks of the barbarians
*divide Roman territories into smaller provinces
-this new government had 20,000 officials- ten times more than under Augustus rule
-they were more efficient at collecting high taxes- this greater yield provided for a larger army
300 AD:
- 60 million people in the Roman empire
-several million are Christians
-Christianity has quite an appeal to the poor an disenfranchised- and there are plenty of those
-more Christians are even gaining positions of power, becoming the ruling elite
-Diocletian ruled from 284-305 and left the Christians alone at first
-then he undertook the most systematic persecution of all
-Constantine ruled as emperor from 306-337
-The Roman empire still persecuted people because they are still in conflict with the official empire position.

Answers to questions:
What persecution did Diocletian take?
- About 3000-4000 Christians were killed and thousands more were tortured. he burned several chrurches to the ground
What did he do to change the Roman Empire?
- the structure of the roman imperial government and helped stabilize the empire ecinomicaly  and military enabling the empire to remain essentially intact for another hundred years despite being they being of collapsible in Diocletian youth

what was the connection with christianity with constatine?
-He ultimately gave Christianity political and social legitimacy in the Roman Empire, thus allowing the young religion to establish itself, obtain powerful patrons, and ultimately dominate the Western world.

How did he restructure the empire?
-he made Christianity the roman religion, a
-which united the Romans more than the attempts to unite under the pagan gods

1. -he changed the capital of the Greek city to Byzantium