- Explain and assess why Rome, during the period of the Roman Republic, was able to dominate the ancient Mediterranean world. This answer should pay attention to political, social, economic, and cultural factors.
Rome had mainly remained a source of power among the Mediterranean region by 133 B.C. There were several reasons for this dominance of Rome among neighboring countries including political, social, cultural and economic factors. For instance, the Romans conquered Greece by developing cultural ties with them. Socially, Romans had realsied that Greeks were weak on moral grounds. Similarly, Hellenistic regions were not easier for Romans to defeat in terms of culture, therefore, the Romans military and governance learnt a lot from the Hellenistic values. Politically speaking, Rome remained successful in vesting all powers in Italy and neighboring countries subdued their interests with Italy. The Romans regarded their generals through promotions and privileges that boosted their confidence and motivated them to retain their honor and glory. Due to this discipline among army, Rome was shortly ruled by Gauls and Etruscans in 4th and 6th centuries respectively .
3- Analyze the reasons for the decline and ultimate collapse of the Roman Empire.
There were several reasons for the downfall and decline of the Roman Empire based upon both internal and external reasons. Some of the significant issues that caused the demise of the whole empire included economic recessions, political succession issues, ethnic and regional differences, misuse of power by bureaucracy, religious lapses, moral weaknesses, unequal distribution of wealth, concentration of power and foreign enemies .
4-Who was the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ or St. Paul? And what was the significance of each?
Jesus Christ laid the foundation of the ‘Christianity’ religion which was disturbing for the Roman elites. The followers of Christianity believe that a massive number of Roman masses converted to the Christianity after he was crucified. He was a messenger of divine doctrine and challenged the Romans religious practices. However, Paul was a follower of the Christianity and contributed a lot in converting the urban population of he Eastern Europe. He can be considered as the father of Christian theology due to his extensive work in making collections of the Jesus Christ sayings and epistles .
- Explain and analyze why and how Christianity emerged and then became the dominant religion in the early centuries of the Roman Empire.
In 3rd century Rome was encountering various political, social, economic and health issues. People were religiously scattered and had no uniform standard to follow. In those tough times, Christianity emerged as a savior for these sufferers promising rewards for them in both world and hereafter. Some significant reasons for making the Christianity a popular religion in early centuries of the Roman Empire included the unity of Romans, novelty and dynamism in ideology, sacred rituals, ethical code, protection for poor, a divine book, opposition to suppression and a noble background. After its legislation in 313 AD, it became a state religion of Rome. This made an impact on the Romanian architect and other state installments reflecting the association of Romans with the Christian art .
Works Cited
Brown, R. W. (2009). Mediterranean Civilizations, ca. 2000 BC-AD 500. Retrieved 2014, from The University fo North Carolina at Pembroke: http://www2.uncp.edu/home/rwb/lecture_med_civ.htm
Ferguson, R. J. (1997). Journey to the West: Essays in History, Politics and Culture. International Relations.
