CONSTANTINE as first Christian Emperor
312 Battle of Milvian Bridge:
         conversion of Constantine
313 EDICT OF MILAN:
          freedom of worship for all religions (including Christianity)
323 Battle of Adrianople: defeat of Licinius by Constantine
324 Constantine sole Emperor in East & West

Constantinople as "new Rome"
330 capital moved to Byzantium/Constantinople
              religious, military & administrative reasons,
              Christian city, free of Roman paganism
 337  deathbed Baptism of Constantine
              remains capital of Roman Empire until 1453

325 COUNCIL OF NICEA:
      1st ecumenical (world-wide) council of Church
      called by Constantine acting as head of church
      example of CAESAROPAPISM: Caesar acts as Pope,
                         fusion of Church and State as eastern model
     council condemns as heresy (incorrect doctrine)        
                 the view of the Trinity taught by
ARIANS: followers of Arius hold that
             Christ as son is lesser being than Father
Nicene Creed :  orthodox (correct doctrine) definition of Trinity
                              stated  by Council of Nicea
      Son is of   “same substance” with the Father
          (Greek = homo-ousia)

DOCTRINE OF PAPAL PRIMACY IN ROME

East: CAESAROPAPISM -- "Caesar acts as Pope"
      pattern set by Constantine; Church as department of state
      Emperor calls church councils, decides doctrinal disputes

West: Roman church resists Imperial control from the East
      evolve doctrine of papal primacy within Church
      Pope as primus inter pares (first among equals
                  among Christian Bishops)
      tension between Church and State.

APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION from Peter
             gatekeeper of Heaven, holds "keys of kingdom"
Scriptural foundation of Peter's authority: Matt 16:18=
      "Thou art Peter & upon this rock I will build my church.“
      body in Vatican: relic, pilgrimage site;
      pallium (symbol of Papal authority) placed on tomb
                   of St. Peter by each newly chosen pope

St. AUGUSTINE AND CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW
        theologian, Bishop of Hippo (north Africa); Church Father
        Autobiography = Confessions:  mother Monica;
                Carthage; conversion;  Bishop Ambrose of Milan

 Refutation of 4-5th C. Heresies (incorrect doctrines):
     Manicheanism:  problem of evil in monotheism
              dualism as explanation for evil;
              omnipotence of God  vs goodness of God;
             Augustine: theory of evil as absence of good
     Pelagianism:  4th C. Roman priest, Pelagius
                  salvation through effort, good works = morality
                  Augustine: original sin as totally corrupting, need grace

FIFTH CENTURY INVASIONS:  Goths, Vandals, Huns
            pressure on German tribes from Asiatic peoples moving west
 
VISIGOTHS (South Goths)           
            Arian missionary ULFILAS 340-8: translates Arian Bible to Gothic
             370 AD request permision to enter Empire
            376 dirarmed Goths attacked by Roman army; war
            378 Battle of Adrianople: defeat of EMPEROR VALENS by Goths
                      new EMPEROR THEODOSIUS (378-395)
                                 makes temporary peace with Goths, aided by
                      STILICHO THE VANDAL: minister under Theodosius
                                 able to deal effectively with Visigoths
            ALARIC -- 410 Sack of Rome: refutation of idea that this is
                        due to Christianity in Augustine's City of God 413

410 Sack of city of Rome by Alaric the Visigoth (German)
        pagans blame Christians for the sack of Rome

St. Augustine’s response: Christian theory of history
 413 CITY OF GOD (vs City of man):   

Christian versus Roman explanations of Sack of Rome :
      Roman: abandonment of worship of official Roman gods
      Augustine: Rome as the “city of man,” impermanent
          state as punishment for original sin, fallen
          heavenly City of God versus earthly city (Rome)
                 but Roman Empire divinely ordained to spread Christianity               

 VANDALS (German Arians):
            429 invade Africa, besiege Hippo; 439 Carthage;
                    attack Italy by sea; conquered by Rome only in 534

HUNS: enter Europe 372 from Urals; 375 Danube; 451 Gaul; 452 Italy
            ATTILA "the scourge of God": attacks Empire, extracts tribute
                        from Emperor at Constantinople; invades western Empire
            451 Troyes: Huns defeated by Aetius, last great Roman general
                                      (but note that Aetius' army is largely German)
            452 invades Italy; Venice founded by Italians fleeing Huns
             POPE  LEO I persuades Attila to spare Rome; Attila dies 453

476 AD FALL OF ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE WEST
             deposition of Romulus Augustulus by Odoacer
                                     (Odoacer is of mixed German/Hun ancestry)

OSTROGOTHIC KINGDOM (493-535):
        first of "barbarian" or successor kingdoms

THEODORIC (493-526) King of the Ostrogoths
                                      (= Eastern Goths, Arians)
            authorized by Eastern Roman Emperor to march
                              against Huns in Italy;
            Theodoric slays Odoacer;  
                              accepted by Senate & People of Rome (SPQR)
            Arianism as major weakness of Ostrogothic Kingdom:
                           Byzantine Emperor remains hostile to Arians