Few theologians live up to the legendary status of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD). His theological treatises are vast and extensive. In fact, St. Isidore of Seville said if anyone claimed to have read all of St. Augustine’s writings, they were lying because he wrote so much. However, some say St. Isidore’s comment is … More Saint Augustine’s Impact on the Christian Church

            After Rome’s Imperial Crisis during the 3rd century, when emperors were repeatedly assassinated and deposed, the empire was weak by the 4th century. Diocletian implemented reforms in 284 AD to stabilize the Roman Empire, such as forming the tetrarchy, with two augusti (emperors) in the East and West and two caesars (vice-emperors). The caesars … More The Visigoth Invasion and Rome’s Destruction

            A prior essay addressed the similarities between Christianity and Roman/Greek philosophy. This essay will focus on the differences and how Christianity represented an alienation from Roman ideals—stoicism, in particular.               Where the Stoics and Christians agreed that fate/Godly providence would have its course on destiny (i.e., that a greater power governs our future), … More Ethical Dissensions Between Christianity and Ancient Rome

The church expanded after the reign of Emperor Constantine. It was an age when Greek literature was popular. But with the Canon of the Bible finished and pagan literature flourishing, an honorable question arose: What was the church’s view on pagan literature? Were Plato, Socrates, Livy, and all the other classics ignorable since the world … More The Church and Pagan Classics

            Unbeknownst to most people, the monks did more than pray and read scripture in seclusion. Beneath the world’s eyes, the monasteries secretly held the world together after Rome collapsed. Through the Classical Period and into the Middle Ages, the monks’ contributions permeated Europe. This essay is about those contributions.             Monasticism developed when zealous … More The Monks and Their European Contributions

The Christian condition worsened as Roman emperors escalated their persecutions. History remembered Nero and Domitian unfavorably as bloodthirsty tyrants, but their persecutions were dwarfed by Diocletian. For the first time in Roman history, he launched an empire-wide, proactive campaign to smite every Christian and run the religion into the ground. However, in some respects, the … More God’s Providence in Rome’s Emperors

Rome inherited the Greek’s polytheistic religion, but in the first century AD, a new religion emerged. Christianity took the world by storm. Eventually, it made the ancient Greek religion obsolete. Nero, Titus, and Domitian were a few of the emperors who persecuted the Christian Church because it undermined their gods. Eventually, Rome, Christianity’s biggest persecutor, … More Conflicting Religions: The Difference Between Christianity and Greek Religion

The Roman philosopher Seneca was often considered Nero’s leash. The psychotic and blood-thirsty maniac emperor was most reasonable in the first five years of his reign when Seneca’s influence as an advisor permeated Nero. As the Roman monarch lost his mind, Seneca distanced himself more. But while we mostly remember the Stoic philosopher because of … More Man’s Unique Good According to Seneca