Western Civilization I
Outline 12
Professor Knight

Late Antiquity: The End of the Roman Empire

I.  Traditional Narrative:
	The Fall of Rome: 410 AD to the Visigoths; 480AD—last emperor.
	Europe goes through “Dark Ages” between Roman Empire and Middle Ages.
	

II.  The Church
	Question of the Nature of Christ: Man, God or Both?
	Arius of Alexandria; Arianism
		Christ is lower than God the Father
	Council of Nicea: 325AD
		Nicean Creed:  Jesus is “one in being” with the father.
	Church Organization:
		Deacons, Priest and Bishops
		Dioceses (Introduced for Empire by Diocletian, adapted by Church)
	Bishop of Rome:  The Pope
		The Petrine Doctrine
			“You are Peter and on this rock I will found my church”
	Secular vs Religious Authority: Which takes precedence?	
		Bishop Ambrose of Milan
	St. Augustine of Hippo:  The Medieval Worldview

III.  Secular Life
	Shift from City to Countryside
		Manors, Development of Serfdom
	Shift from Imperial Administration to the Church
		Bishops organize famine relief, defense of cities, etc
	.Influx of Barbarians
		The Huns.  Attila the Hun (dies 456)
		Visigoths 
			Cross Danube into Romen Empire (376)
			Battle of Adrianopol (378)
			Visigoths Sack Rome (410)
		Vandals (Sack Rome 455)
		Ostrogoths
			Theodoric (takes over from last Emperor in 480)
		Franks
			Clovis—founder of Merovingian dynasty in France (c. 600)