Uploaded: 04 Apr 2012 (15 years ago) · Shared: 29 Sep 2017
Duration: 47:56
Video Description
Explore the dramatic religious transformation of the ancient world in this engaging lecture by Professor Paul Freedman from Yale University. Tracing the rise of the Christian Roman Empire, this session examines how the conversion of Emperor Constantine shifted the course of Western civilization and reshaped the early Church. Discover the brief pagan revival under Julian the Apostate and delve into the intense theological debates surrounding foundational early history heresies, including Arianism, Donatism, and Manicheanism.
Gain valuable insights into how imperial power intervened in theological matters to maintain unity within the Christian faith. Professor Freedman also introduces the profound spiritual legacy of St. Augustine through his famous work, Confessions, while exploring its deep connections to classical Platonism. Perfect for students and history enthusiasts alike, this lecture provides a compelling look at the intersection of state power, philosophy, and religious devotion in the Early Middle Ages.
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Who is Paul Freedman?Paul Freedman is the Chester D Tripp Professor of History at Yale University. He specializes in medieval social history, the history of Spain, the study of medieval peasantry, and medieval cuisine.
What is Roman?In historiography, ancient Rome is Roman civilization. From the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, encompassing the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire until the fall of the western empire. The civilization began as an Italic settlement in the Italian peninsula, dating from the 8th century BC, that grew into the city of Rome and which subsequently gave its name to the empire over which it ruled and to the widespread civilisation the empire developed. The Roman empire expanded to become one of the largest empires in the ancient world, though still ruled from the city, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world's population) and covering 5.0 million square kilometres at its height in AD 117.
