Changes in Rome
Nerva, Antoninus Pius, Hadrian, Trajan, and Marcas Aurelius, often regarded as the Five Good Emperors, were a series of remarkable or excellent emperors that ruled Rome from 96-180 AD. Research indicates that they were called the good emperors because they managed to win the cooperation and support of the Senate, a feat that their predecessors were unable to achieve. The period of the Good Emperors was regarded as the golden ages of the Roman Empire, and it was characterised by unparalleled prosperity and peaceful relations between individuals and the state. Furthermore, the period witnessed a remarkable expansion of the empire as well as its consolidation. On the other hand, the late imperial period was a stark contrast from the period of the Five Good Emperors. Primarily, the late imperial period was characterised by unrelenting warfare and financial hardship. The Empire was undergoing a period of general unease.
Yes, the problems and challenges of the military anarchy, as well as after the implementation of the Tetrarchy, created a greater divide between the classes. Some of the plans and strategies that were implemented during this period, such as price controls, aggressive taxation, and forcing citizens into hereditary professions, exaggerated and exacerbated the divides among individuals of various classes.
The divides are reflected in the fact that the Roman Empire was split into different administrate units, the East and West. Furthermore, there was a great divide between the Christians and the pagans. Most Roman laws and regulations were based on precedent; therefore, the mere fact that Christians were often persecuted meant that their religion was always regarded as illegal. The divisions were also characterised in the face-offs between armies from Thrace and armies from Gaul.
Bibliography
Kelly, Christopher. Ruling the Later Roman Empire. New York: Harvard University Press, 2006.
Rees, Roger. Diocletian and the Tetrarchy. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2004.
Spielvogel, Jackson. Western Civilization: A Brief History, Volume 1. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 2010.
