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Julian

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Posts posted by Julian

  1. Julian I read Gibbon, I know the Romans becames Christians but by the way they were they wern't even Romans they were Babarians and the end of the Roman Empire was about 100 years away.

     

    Actually, if we include Byzantium, Justinian ruled and lived in Constantinople, the Empire lasted until 29 May 1453.

     

    Taken from http://www.fact-index.com/j/ju/justinian_i.html

     

    Religious policy

    Justinian's religious policy reflected the imperial conviction that the unity of the empire unconditionally presupposed unity of faith; and with him it seemed a matter of course that this faith could be only the orthodox. Those of a different belief had to recognize that the process which imperial legislation had begun from Constantius II down would now vigorously continue. The Codex contained two statutes (Cod., I., xi. 9 and 10) which decreed the total destruction of Hellenism, even in the civil life; nor were the appertaining provisions to stand merely on paper. The sources (John Malalas, Theophanes, John of Ephesus) tell of severe persecutions, even of men in high positions.

     

    But what proved of universal historic account, was the ruling whereby the emperor, in 529, abrogated philosophical and juridical instruction at the Academy of Plato of Athens, thus putting an end to this training-school for Hellenism. And the Christian propaganda went hand in hand with the suppression of paganism. In Asia Minor alone, John of Ephesus claimed to have converted 70,000 pagans (cf. F. Nau, in Revue de l'orient chretien, ii., 1897, 482). Other peoples also accepted Christianity: the Heruli (Procopius, Bellum Gothicum, ii. 14; Evagrius, Hist. eccl., iv. 20), the Huns dwelling near the Don (Procopius, iv. 4; Evagrius, iv. 23), the Abasgi (Procopius, iv. 3; Evagrius, iv. 22) and the Tzani (Procopius, Bellum Persicum, i. 15) in Caucasia.

     

    The worship of Ammon at Augila in the Libyan desert (Procopius, De Aedificiis, vi. 2) was abolished; and so were the remnants of the worship of Isis on the island of Philae, at the first cataract of the Nile (Procopius, Bellum Persicum, i. 19). The Presbyter Julian (DCB, iii. 482) and the Bishop Longinus (John of Ephesus, Hist. eccl., iv. 5 sqq.) conducted a mission among the Nabataeans, and Justinian attempted to strengthen Christianity in Yemen by despatching thither an ecclesiastic of Egypt (Procopius, Bellum Persicum, i. 20; Malalas, ed. Niebuhr, Bonn, 1831, pp. 433 sqq.).

     

    The Jews, too, had to suffer; for not only did the authorities restrict their civil rights (Cod., I., v. 12), and threaten their religious privileges (Procopius, Historia Arcana, 28); but the emperor interfered too in the internal affairs of the synagogue (Nov., cxlvi., Feb. 8, 553), and forbade, for instance, the use of the Hebrew language in divine worship. The recalcitrant were menaced with corporal penalties, exile and loss of property. The Jews at Borium, not far from Syrtis Major, who resisted Belisarius in his Vandal campaign, had to embrace Christianity; and their synagogue became a church. (Procopius, De Aedificiis, vi. 2).

     

    The emperor had much trouble with the Samaritans; refractory to Christianity, as they were, and repeatedly in insurrection. He opposed them with rigorous edicts, but yet could not prevent a fresh outbreak against the Christians from taking place in Samaria toward the close of his reign. The consistency of Justinian's policy meant that the Manicheans too sufferred severe persecution, experiencing both exile and threat of capital punishment (Cod., I., v. 12). At Constantinople, on one occasion, not a few Manicheans, after strict inquisition, were executed in the emperor's very presence: some by burning, others by drowning (F. Nau, in Revue de l'orient, ii., 1897, p. 481).

  2. Ursus: I'm something of a pagan, and I deal with pagans from other cultures all the time. Many of them don't seem overly fond of Rome. Especially the ones of a Germanic or Celtic persuausion.

     

    I seriously need proof of the Celtic Religion being destoryed by the Romans, the Romans let everyone worship their own gods they aslo brought many Celtic Gods in the Pantheon. Except Christians, I can see why they were some sort of a threat.

    I being a Roman Pagan myself highly admire there system of religious tolerence by letting other Pagan Faiths in.

    Cheers,

    Zeke

    Justinian finalised the destruction of the Pagan religions. See Gibbon. He mentions this destruction as being a singular event in human history. Genocide employed by the Christian's wiped out the pagan religions. This is well documented.

  3. Rome the name brings greatness,

    Rome the center of the world for almost four centuries,

    The bringer of peace throughout the world at one time the rest of the world being a bunch of ruthless Barbarians.

    Rome the center of Philosphy, culture, arts, baths, ampitherters, imperial libaries and the collesueem. (Hope I spelt that right)

    Rome one of the greatest empires in the whole world, greater then the greed of Genis Kahans bloodthirsty hords, greater then the all the Christian Empires thrown together, smarter then Napoeleon's France, more culturally enlightened then Freedom loving America, more religiouly tolereant then the Ottaman Turks, the first great Republic after Greek City States, and of coarse the spreader of Classical Greek cutlure throughout the Mediterrean. Who could not like Rome..... :P I think it was probally the most best known empires in the world and I certainlly marvel at Rome.

     

    But then there are those people who hate Rome........Those who say it was a monster that destoryed cutlures and murder of Jesus Christ, (which was by the way instugated by the Jews not the Romans). Those who say it was a mess of back stabbing politics and greedy Emporers, and a grand army that killed alot of people. An empire that eveyone citizens but failed to make everyone equal.

     

    I have a question for everyone...........Do you think Rome was great and was one of the best places to live in the world at the time, and all together the best thing at the time.....or do you think it was a corrupt Empire that was responisble for killing Jesus on the cross and for esatablishing a dictorial system of goverence over many people?

     

    I personally like Rome and I admire it greatly.

     

    How about you? what do you think about Rome.........what if Rome had never existed??? What if Rome had been destoryed by Carthage perhaps or Ceaser had not won in Gaul? Do you think it was good or bad...or if you are in the middle explain points of the bad things about it or the bad things.

    Details.

    sorry about spelling

    Blessings,

    Zeke the Celt.

     

    Sadly I do not have much time right now. But I always thought this was good. :)

     

    REG:

    They've bled us white, the bastards. They've taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers' fathers.

    LORETTA:

    And from our fathers' fathers' fathers.

    REG:

    Yeah.

    LORETTA:

    And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers.

    REG:

    Yeah. All right, Stan. Don't labour the point. And what have they ever given us in return?!

    XERXES:

    The aqueduct.

    REG:

    What?

    XERXES:

    The aqueduct.

    REG:

    Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.

    COMMANDO #3:

    And the sanitation.

    LORETTA:

    Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?

    REG:

    Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.

    MATTHIAS:

    And the roads.

    REG:

    Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads--

    COMMANDO:

    Irrigation.

    XERXES:

    Medicine.

    COMMANDOS:

    Huh? Heh? Huh...

    COMMANDO #2:

    Education.

    COMMANDOS:

    Ohh...

    REG:

    Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.

    COMMANDO #1:

    And the wine.

    COMMANDOS:

    Oh, yes. Yeah...

    FRANCIS:

    Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss, Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.

    COMMANDO:

    Public baths.

    LORETTA:

    And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.

    FRANCIS:

    Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this.

    COMMANDOS:

    Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

    REG:

    All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

    XERXES:

    Brought peace.

    REG:

    Oh. Peace? Shut up!

    [bam bam bam bam bam bam bam]

    [bam bam bam bam bam]

  4. I tend to see other socio economic problems as being the real cause. Many people, such as Diocletian, may have felt that Christianity had a chance of weakening the Empire, but history shows us that Christian nations can be as hard and warlike as any other. Plus it should be remembered that Constantine moved the capital city to Constantinople. Even if Rome in the west later fell, the capital still existed, and it was Christian. Albeit in the East.

    Later of course there was a resurgence under Justinian with the victories of Belesarius in the west. Although the west was lost again later.

    Personally I see the version put out by the Church as being purely propaganda intending to show the fall of an evil Empire, and the rise of a good empire based upon the Christian faith. If we look deeply into it we see it never really fell. Rome simply became poor and lacked the influence it once possessed. Not surprising seeing as though the centre of its power structure was no longer there, but in Turkey.

  5. I think a good thing to remember about Mel's story, is that it is based on the visions of a mentally ill nun. How close it is to any accurate history is anybody's guess. We cannot even prove Jesus lived, let alone that he was tried by Roman govenor, in a Jewish court involving Jewish laws based in Jewish religion. Not to mention the fact that no Jew would be crucified by Jew's on the eve of passover. That any Jew would suffer so is against Jewish law. It sounds to me as if the story of Ben Stada became that of Jesus Christ.

    Of course everything about this event is purely speculative.

  6. The Jewish uprisngs were all very important. The conquest of Britain was another. The end of the Julio Claudian line yet another. In fact there were so many important events it is hard to single any out.

    While I agree with Viggen in part that the rise of Commodus contributed to a general decline, I also must consider that when we are speaking about events that took place over centuries rather than decades, there is more to it then appears on the surface. Yes the Empire had been destabilised with a rush for the Purple on the part of many after the confusion left by Commodus, however this does not really differ from the legacy of the Julio Claudian's and their subsequent demise. The individual's rush for power was long established by the time Commodus was killed.

    I see the breakdown of the Empire being more linked to the difficulties brought about by the Empire's expansion and the logistical problems that were the result of such great distances and the control needed over many nationalities. Not to mention the world outside of the Empire constantly pressing in from many sides.

    The many civil wars that followed were also largely dependant on these distances. I think the wars fought after Diocletian had abdicated were the result, not only of individual desire for power, but also created due to the distance. A man far from Rome ruling his area of command, where his will was done, his army backed him, and the feeling of estrangement from the Capitol all led to these general's waging war for supreme power.

    I feel that there were so many complications in the last 2 centuries leading to the fall of the western Empire that one alone can't be singled out. The death of Julian after his abortive war against Persia must also be seen as a vitally important event. The power in the west had been restored under Julian and he was well loved in that part of the Empire. If he had succeeded in his expedition to Persia, would we have seen yet another rise, not only to Rome's former glory, but perhaps even greater glory?

    The questions posed by Rome's fall and Byzantium's rise are very interesting indeed and I don't think there are any easy answers to any of them.

  7. The greatest? Well that really depends on one's definition. Was Caeser great? I don't know. Was Napoleon great? I tend to favour Cicero for reasons of his humanity, as well as his literary achievements. However I see Scipio as being perhaps the best in his defence of Rome.

     

    As for my greatest Roman of them all? I favour Flavianus Claudius Julianus. Philosopher, restorer of religious tolerance (Ignoring his persecution of the teachers due to his feeling they were hypocrites) great general, governmental reformer, his high level of respect achieved in the eyes of his army, his unwillingness to abuse his power.......... There is much I admire about Julian the Apostate.

  8. I replied that it took a monumental effort for Rome to win. I also don't think Carthage could have won outright. At best they may have been able to negotiate a peace that may have served some of their interests. However I see their role as being similar to that of the Japanese in WWII after the Coral sea and Midway battles. All out victory being beyond their grasp, but negotiated terms not. Whether the Roman's would have been prepared to accept any terms from their main rival in the area is speculative.

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