The changing world of Rome: Emperors, Christians, and Invaders

•  the greatest single change that began among the peoples of the empire during the era of the Roman Peace was the spread of a new form of monotheistic religion, Christianity
• the new religion began as a group within Judaism at a time of division and uncertainty among the Jews arising out of their encounter with the international civilization of Greece and Rome 
• the empire helped bring changes to peoples living outside as well as inside its borders
• The Germanic barbarians of northern Europe became wealthier, more highly organized, and military stronger as a result of living as Rome's neighbors during the era of the Roman Peace 
• roman peace: Pax Romana 
• barbarians grew stronger 
• from about 200 AD, they became such a formidable threat that the emperors could them off only by building up the army, replacing self-rule by centralized government, and openly ruling as absolute monarchs- changes that, in the long run, failed to hold the empire together
• but, these changes had lasting results for the future development of the West
• the empire was still strong enough to bring about the last and greatest of the changes in civilization and took place under its rule
• As long as Rome had prospered, the emperors had taken little notice of Christianity's growth and spread; in the empire's time of troubles, they sometimes harshly persecuted it and sometimes deliberately tolerated it 
• the rulers took Christianity into partnership as the official and majority religion