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This video lecture discusses the Roman Empire in the 4th century, focusing on the impact of Constantine's reforms and the rise of a new imperial elite. It contrasts the idealized Christian Roman Empire envisioned by Eusebius with the reality of the era, highlighting the opportunities and challenges faced by individuals like Augustine. The video also explores the counter-culture of Christian asceticism, using the example of Saint Anthony, as an alternative to the pursuit of wealth and power within the empire.
Constantine's Legacy: Constantine's reign significantly impacted the Roman Empire, creating a more centralized government and a vastly expanded bureaucracy, leading to numerous new government positions. This created an "age of gold" marked by increased wealth and opportunity for provincial elites.
The Rise of a New Elite: The expanded bureaucracy opened up new avenues for social mobility and wealth accumulation, attracting individuals with skills and connections to pursue careers in law, administration, and teaching. Patronage networks played a vital role in securing these positions.
Christian Asceticism as a Counter-Culture: The pursuit of wealth and power was not universally embraced. A significant counter-culture arose among Christian ascetics, exemplified by Saint Anthony, who rejected worldly possessions and power to dedicate themselves to a life of spiritual devotion and physical austerity. This alternative was widely popularized by Athanasius’s biography of Saint Anthony.
Augustine's Life as a Case Study: Augustine's life is used to illustrate the choices faced by individuals in this period. Initially pursuing success within the imperial system, he ultimately rejected wealth and power, mirroring the path of the Christian ascetics. His Confessions serves as a justification for his choice and a model for others.
The Importance of Education: The increasing interconnectedness of education and imperial service led to a shift in the focus of schools. Rhetoric training became essential for advancement, alongside traditional literary and ethical instruction. Schools fostered connections and networks that were crucial for success.
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christian","start_time_text":"0:31"},{"start_ms":"38960","end_ms":"44079","text":"empire that emerged in the 4th century looked very different from the one that eusebius imagined","start_time_text":"0:38"},{"start_ms":"44079","end_ms":"49520","text":"and so in this class we're going to spend some time looking at the real roman empire of the 4th century","start_time_text":"0:44"},{"start_ms":"49520","end_ms":"56800","text":"and we'll get to know augustine who's one of the products or one of the period's most famous people and products of this system now","start_time_text":"0:49"},{"start_ms":"56800","end_ms":"62480","text":"augustine is a fascinating figure he's a towering intellect a tremendously charismatic person","start_time_text":"0:56"},{"start_ms":"62480","end_ms":"67760","text":"and a master building and using political relationships to advance his interests","start_time_text":"1:02"},{"start_ms":"67760","end_ms":"75119","text":"and he was also a figure who was born at exactly the right time to use these talents because augustine","start_time_text":"1:07"},{"start_ms":"75119","end_ms":"81439","text":"came from provincial nobility but not higher nobility he's the son of a member of the upper middle class","start_time_text":"1:15"},{"start_ms":"81439","end_ms":"87040","text":"in a not particularly important city along the coast of north africa and in the first or second century","start_time_text":"1:21"},{"start_ms":"87040","end_ms":"92640","text":"augustine's talents would largely have been wasted he would have been stuck more or less in his city and would have struggled to","start_time_text":"1:27"},{"start_ms":"92640","end_ms":"98000","text":"make a name for himself beyond that city so he would have been comfortable perhaps even wealthy","start_time_text":"1:32"},{"start_ms":"98000","end_ms":"105200","text":"but he would be anonymous like the countless hundreds of millions of other elite romans living in the provinces","start_time_text":"1:38"},{"start_ms":"105200","end_ms":"111840","text":"in the 300 years between uh the reign of augustus and that of constantine these are people","start_time_text":"1:45"},{"start_ms":"111840","end_ms":"117759","text":"who are similarly gifted but lack the opportunity to really showcase these gifts on the imperial","start_time_text":"1:51"},{"start_ms":"117759","end_ms":"124960","text":"stage but fortunately for augustine he was born in the 4th century in the empire created by constantine and","start_time_text":"1:57"},{"start_ms":"124960","end_ms":"131520","text":"so now you're probably immediately thinking that augustine's success came about because augustine was a christian at the time that constantine had begun","start_time_text":"2:04"},{"start_ms":"131520","end_ms":"137280","text":"to christianize the roman world but this would be wrong because for people actually living in the decades","start_time_text":"2:11"},{"start_ms":"137280","end_ms":"144480","text":"after constantine's death the legacy of the first christian emperor was as much an economic as a religious one and this is because","start_time_text":"2:17"},{"start_ms":"144480","end_ms":"151440","text":"constantine continued the project of building a more centralized and efficient imperial government that was first begun","start_time_text":"2:24"},{"start_ms":"151440","end_ms":"156560","text":"by the emperor diocletian in the last decades of the third century and when constantine died the project","start_time_text":"2:31"},{"start_ms":"156560","end_ms":"161680","text":"was near completion it had created many new provinces many new government departments and an","start_time_text":"2:36"},{"start_ms":"161680","end_ms":"167200","text":"expanded imperial bureaucracy made up of perhaps 32 000 new government jobs","start_time_text":"2:41"},{"start_ms":"167200","end_ms":"173680","text":"and another 32 000 or so were added by an expansion of the support staff created to make sure that an expanded","start_time_text":"2:47"},{"start_ms":"173680","end_ms":"179840","text":"army of 500 000 people had adequate supplies and this extended","start_time_text":"2:53"},{"start_ms":"179840","end_ms":"185040","text":"to greek and roman provincial aristocrats participation in an imperial","start_time_text":"2:59"},{"start_ms":"185040","end_ms":"191280","text":"administration that had once been run primarily by a really narrow group of italian senators","start_time_text":"3:05"},{"start_ms":"191280","end_ms":"196879","text":"and their households so provincial elites like augustine whose horizons had once largely been","start_time_text":"3:11"},{"start_ms":"196879","end_ms":"203200","text":"limited to the city councils of their home towns could now aspire to positions that brought greater responsibility","start_time_text":"3:16"},{"start_ms":"203200","end_ms":"210799","text":"and honor on a much bigger stage and these positions paid well so bureaucrats lawyers","start_time_text":"3:23"},{"start_ms":"210799","end_ms":"217519","text":"teachers people belonging to this new imperial elite could expect compensation either in a","start_time_text":"3:30"},{"start_ms":"217519","end_ms":"224239","text":"new gold coin called the solidus and this is the solidus of constantine on the on the slide that could be readily","start_time_text":"3:37"},{"start_ms":"224239","end_ms":"229360","text":"converted to gold or if you accumulated enough of it","start_time_text":"3:44"},{"start_ms":"229360","end_ms":"235120","text":"actual storehouses of gold in your possession so this is the hoxney treasure it's part","start_time_text":"3:49"},{"start_ms":"235120","end_ms":"243280","text":"of the property of a wealthy family and these are actual gold ingots and these gold ingots actually were held by","start_time_text":"3:55"},{"start_ms":"243280","end_ms":"250000","text":"private citizens some of whom worked in these government positions scholars have taken to calling the","start_time_text":"4:03"},{"start_ms":"250000","end_ms":"256880","text":"fourth century an age of gold because of the way that the creation of this new gold solidus enabled notables","start_time_text":"4:10"},{"start_ms":"256880","end_ms":"262560","text":"of the empire to dream about create hold and consolidate massive","start_time_text":"4:16"},{"start_ms":"262560","end_ms":"269040","text":"fortunes so we hear private citizens who lived in houses that resembled small towns others who paid","start_time_text":"4:22"},{"start_ms":"269040","end_ms":"276240","text":"for public games that cost 1200 or even 4 000 pounds of gold and still moore kept locked private","start_time_text":"4:29"},{"start_ms":"276240","end_ms":"282240","text":"store rooms full of these 30 pound gold ingots so here's a description of one of these","start_time_text":"4:36"},{"start_ms":"282240","end_ms":"288800","text":"households this comes from the historian of libya doris and he says when you go to rome each of the great houses of rome","start_time_text":"4:42"},{"start_ms":"288800","end_ms":"296080","text":"contains within itself everything a medium-sized city could hold a hippodrome for racing horses a forum","start_time_text":"4:48"},{"start_ms":"296080","end_ms":"302479","text":"temples fountains and different kinds of baths many of the roman households received an income of 4 000 pounds of","start_time_text":"4:56"},{"start_ms":"302479","end_ms":"308080","text":"gold per year from their properties and because of the reforms of constantine","start_time_text":"5:02"},{"start_ms":"308080","end_ms":"313280","text":"the ability to participate in government and get access to these gold paychecks","start_time_text":"5:08"},{"start_ms":"313280","end_ms":"319840","text":"was extended to all who were capable and lucky enough to be noticed and this made the act of getting noticed","start_time_text":"5:13"},{"start_ms":"319840","end_ms":"326000","text":"by imperial officials essential many people wanted these imperial jobs the early fourth century state","start_time_text":"5:19"},{"start_ms":"326000","end_ms":"331360","text":"didn't always have an effective mechanism for identifying new talent","start_time_text":"5:26"},{"start_ms":"331360","end_ms":"337360","text":"and so young men seeking these positions in imperial administration depended on patronage networks of","start_time_text":"5:31"},{"start_ms":"337360","end_ms":"342960","text":"teachers family members friends from school and friends of friends to bring their particular","start_time_text":"5:37"},{"start_ms":"342960","end_ms":"349840","text":"combination of skills and connections to the attention of the right imperial administrators who we're hiring","start_time_text":"5:42"},{"start_ms":"349840","end_ms":"356479","text":"and by the mid-4th century teachers are regularly writing letters to imperial officials to place their students in governorships","start_time_text":"5:49"},{"start_ms":"356479","end_ms":"363199","text":"to get them jobs on an administrator's staff or to secure teaching positions for them and emperors begin to recognize the","start_time_text":"5:56"},{"start_ms":"363199","end_ms":"368560","text":"important role that schools now played and started to pay closer attention to their activities","start_time_text":"6:03"},{"start_ms":"368560","end_ms":"375120","text":"so the year 362 the emperor julian issued a law requiring that all teachers in the empire register with him","start_time_text":"6:08"},{"start_ms":"375120","end_ms":"381600","text":"so that he could ensure that they were of good enough character to teach these future civil servants in 370 for","start_time_text":"6:15"},{"start_ms":"381600","end_ms":"387680","text":"example valentinian and valens ordered the office of tax assessment to compile an annual list of the","start_time_text":"6:21"},{"start_ms":"387680","end_ms":"392960","text":"students in rome and elsewhere in the empire and the purpose of this","start_time_text":"6:27"},{"start_ms":"392960","end_ms":"399919","text":"as this law establishing this institution says the purpose of this is","start_time_text":"6:32"},{"start_ms":"399919","end_ms":"405840","text":"to be sure that we may learn the merits and education of the various students","start_time_text":"6:39"},{"start_ms":"405840","end_ms":"412080","text":"and may judge whether they may ever be necessary to us now the necessary to us is the key part","start_time_text":"6:45"},{"start_ms":"412080","end_ms":"418319","text":"of this because the goal of this law is to basically","start_time_text":"6:52"},{"start_ms":"418319","end_ms":"424800","text":"put together report cards of students studying in all of the cities the major cities of","start_time_text":"6:58"},{"start_ms":"424800","end_ms":"429919","text":"the empire so that students who are doing well may actually be contacted and brought","start_time_text":"7:04"},{"start_ms":"429919","end_ms":"435520","text":"into the administration that needs quality people so this reflected","start_time_text":"7:09"},{"start_ms":"435520","end_ms":"440960","text":"a reality in which education and imperial service became more closely linked","start_time_text":"7:15"},{"start_ms":"440960","end_ms":"447840","text":"and this had important implications for the way the schools worked schools continued to provide students with a grammatical rhetorical ethical","start_time_text":"7:20"},{"start_ms":"447840","end_ms":"453120","text":"and literary instruction that had long been a hallmark of ancient education beginning in the fourth","start_time_text":"7:27"},{"start_ms":"453120","end_ms":"459680","text":"century however they also began to offer a sort of professional training teachers of rhetoric like those under home augustine","start_time_text":"7:33"},{"start_ms":"459680","end_ms":"466240","text":"studied trained their students to argue effectively and appealed to magistrates to give them standing to argue cases in","start_time_text":"7:39"},{"start_ms":"466240","end_ms":"473440","text":"court this was an important stepping stone in an administrative career and most young men who wanted these well-paying jobs","start_time_text":"7:46"},{"start_ms":"473440","end_ms":"479520","text":"saw a training and rhetoric as essential the schools also trained the young aspiring members of the elite how to","start_time_text":"7:53"},{"start_ms":"479520","end_ms":"486080","text":"behave and build relationships with one another so teachers the teaching assistants and older students in the school","start_time_text":"7:59"},{"start_ms":"486080","end_ms":"491120","text":"ran initiations of newly arrived students they organized communal activities","start_time_text":"8:06"},{"start_ms":"491120","end_ms":"496160","text":"and they encourage students to publicly support their teacher and as augustine describes in the","start_time_text":"8:11"},{"start_ms":"496160","end_ms":"501840","text":"confessions students lived together they partied together and they participated in regular mischief","start_time_text":"8:16"},{"start_ms":"501840","end_ms":"508240","text":"like brawling in the streets and kidnapping newly arrived young men and for the generation of men growing up","start_time_text":"8:21"},{"start_ms":"508240","end_ms":"514159","text":"in the early 4th century the schools offered an unprecedented opportunity to embark upon careers","start_time_text":"8:28"},{"start_ms":"514159","end_ms":"520800","text":"whose impact extended beyond the confines of their home city and this is why augustine was fortunate","start_time_text":"8:34"},{"start_ms":"520800","end_ms":"526560","text":"to be born at this moment in time it was a moment when someone like him had a chance to","start_time_text":"8:40"},{"start_ms":"526560","end_ms":"532640","text":"really shine across the empire when in the early in the early centuries the chances he","start_time_text":"8:46"},{"start_ms":"532640","end_ms":"540000","text":"would have had to do this would have been really confined and much much more difficult so the opportunities for wealth prestige","start_time_text":"8:52"},{"start_ms":"540000","end_ms":"545920","text":"and fame across the empire were so great in the fourth century that they also began to provoke something of","start_time_text":"9:00"},{"start_ms":"545920","end_ms":"551920","text":"a backlash because by the 360s and 370s three generations of elites had taken","start_time_text":"9:05"},{"start_ms":"551920","end_ms":"556959","text":"advantage of these opportunities and the grandchildren of constantine's generation","start_time_text":"9:11"},{"start_ms":"556959","end_ms":"562480","text":"began to question whether the wealth power and high offices that this system had created","start_time_text":"9:16"},{"start_ms":"562480","end_ms":"567600","text":"were really admirable goals and as wealth and success became widely available","start_time_text":"9:22"},{"start_ms":"567600","end_ms":"573279","text":"it came to be taken for granted and so some elite youths of the 360s","start_time_text":"9:27"},{"start_ms":"573279","end_ms":"578560","text":"then became something like the middle class children of the 1960s and began to think about whether the rat","start_time_text":"9:33"},{"start_ms":"578560","end_ms":"583839","text":"race was worth it they began to look for something more meaningful than a life working for the man","start_time_text":"9:38"},{"start_ms":"583839","end_ms":"589680","text":"and this is augustine's generation and this is the very type of question that augustine would ultimately confront","start_time_text":"9:43"},{"start_ms":"589680","end_ms":"596880","text":"what is the meaning of what i'm trying to do and is all of this work and all of this","start_time_text":"9:49"},{"start_ms":"596880","end_ms":"603920","text":"monetary and um monetary uh wealth and social prestige","start_time_text":"9:56"},{"start_ms":"603920","end_ms":"609519","text":"really worth it and so that means it's it's worthwhile for us to pause for a few minutes and","start_time_text":"10:03"},{"start_ms":"609519","end_ms":"614640","text":"see what were the alternatives because we can i think on some level understand why people like augustine","start_time_text":"10:09"},{"start_ms":"614640","end_ms":"620000","text":"would be pursuing wealth and reputation and career opportunities","start_time_text":"10:14"},{"start_ms":"620000","end_ms":"625760","text":"in this fourth century world but what's the alternative well the the big alternative to","start_time_text":"10:20"},{"start_ms":"625760","end_ms":"633920","text":"christian youths was that of christian asceticism and so this is saint antony um","start_time_text":"10:25"},{"start_ms":"633920","end_ms":"640880","text":"the way that saint anthony described himself was as an ascetic philosopher ascetic","start_time_text":"10:33"},{"start_ms":"640880","end_ms":"648480","text":"is a greek word that comes from the word eschesis which means discipline and for anthony the practice of ascetic","start_time_text":"10:40"},{"start_ms":"648480","end_ms":"655360","text":"philosophy meant living on his own and working within the space of himself","start_time_text":"10:48"},{"start_ms":"655360","end_ms":"661920","text":"to master his passions and live a life of pure christianity that allowed his soul","start_time_text":"10:55"},{"start_ms":"661920","end_ms":"668800","text":"to transcend the concerns of the world and ascend to a position where it was in communion with god","start_time_text":"11:01"},{"start_ms":"668800","end_ms":"676079","text":"this might sound very very strange to us what anthony did was he he first moved to the edge of his village then he","start_time_text":"11:08"},{"start_ms":"676079","end_ms":"681839","text":"moved into the desert and then he moved into the deep desert and increasingly uh trained himself in","start_time_text":"11:16"},{"start_ms":"681839","end_ms":"687760","text":"more and more rigorous ways to endure physical deprivation and also a life of intense","start_time_text":"11:21"},{"start_ms":"687760","end_ms":"692880","text":"christian contemplation by the middle of the fourth century what","start_time_text":"11:27"},{"start_ms":"692880","end_ms":"698079","text":"anthony was doing had become the height of a kind of counterculture because ascetics were in","start_time_text":"11:32"},{"start_ms":"698079","end_ms":"703200","text":"every way the opposite of the successful elites of the con of the constantinian empire many","start_time_text":"11:38"},{"start_ms":"703200","end_ms":"709040","text":"ascetics especially the most prominent ones were actually children of privilege anthony himself","start_time_text":"11:43"},{"start_ms":"709040","end_ms":"716959","text":"came from a family that owned vineyards and and uh orchards and estates in his egyptian town but they gave these","start_time_text":"11:49"},{"start_ms":"716959","end_ms":"722399","text":"things up ascetics gave up their family property as ascetics they had little or no","start_time_text":"11:56"},{"start_ms":"722399","end_ms":"728240","text":"property they held no offices they wanted no political power they were nobodies in the social","start_time_text":"12:02"},{"start_ms":"728240","end_ms":"735920","text":"structure of the constantinian empire but this was by design and many of them gave up things that had at one point","start_time_text":"12:08"},{"start_ms":"735920","end_ms":"742160","text":"made them somebody so that they could become nobody so instead of pursuing the things that","start_time_text":"12:15"},{"start_ms":"742160","end_ms":"748560","text":"made you successful in worldly terms they just pursued service to a christian god","start_time_text":"12:22"},{"start_ms":"748560","end_ms":"753839","text":"now contrary to what's been argued by some people christian ascetics are not new in the","start_time_text":"12:28"},{"start_ms":"753839","end_ms":"759920","text":"fourth century forms of christian asceticism though not quite this extreme have been around since earliest","start_time_text":"12:33"},{"start_ms":"759920","end_ms":"766240","text":"christianity but before the fourth century they tended to be people who stayed in town they would live in town they would go to","start_time_text":"12:39"},{"start_ms":"766240","end_ms":"771680","text":"church they'd maintain a level of involvement with their families but they were in a sense very committed","start_time_text":"12:46"},{"start_ms":"771680","end_ms":"777519","text":"christians and so they're symbolically important figures but their voices don't matter as much as","start_time_text":"12:51"},{"start_ms":"777519","end_ms":"783680","text":"a figure like antony but a series of developments in the 4th century in egypt shifted the way these","start_time_text":"12:57"},{"start_ms":"783680","end_ms":"790399","text":"ascetics were perceived so these developments included the gradual emergence of ascetics who practiced like anthony deep in the","start_time_text":"13:03"},{"start_ms":"790399","end_ms":"796639","text":"desert the development of community-based monasteries where ascetics would take their practice from","start_time_text":"13:10"},{"start_ms":"796639","end_ms":"801920","text":"the individual level and bring it together in a communal setting so they could each support each","start_time_text":"13:16"},{"start_ms":"801920","end_ms":"807760","text":"other and make asceticism something that they do better because all of them are doing it","start_time_text":"13:21"},{"start_ms":"807760","end_ms":"814000","text":"together and eventually a growing interest among egyptian church leaders in recognizing","start_time_text":"13:27"},{"start_ms":"814000","end_ms":"819120","text":"these aesthetics as people who are very important in how christianity and christian theological","start_time_text":"13:34"},{"start_ms":"819120","end_ms":"827600","text":"arguments work but one of the key moments in this process was the composition of the life of antony","start_time_text":"13:39"},{"start_ms":"827600","end_ms":"832720","text":"al by the bishop of alexandria a man of athanasius and this masterpiece that action","start_time_text":"13:47"},{"start_ms":"832720","end_ms":"838079","text":"athanasius wrote had a host of interrelated purposes but one of its most important features","start_time_text":"13:52"},{"start_ms":"838079","end_ms":"845440","text":"is its marking of antony as a figure whose aesthetic accomplishments far exceed those of town-based christian aesthetics so","start_time_text":"13:58"},{"start_ms":"845440","end_ms":"851360","text":"athanasius's narrative of anthony's life begins in a world in which ascetics exists only within the structures of","start_time_text":"14:05"},{"start_ms":"851360","end_ms":"856639","text":"village life when anthony decided to embrace an ascetic life he began his training by","start_time_text":"14:11"},{"start_ms":"856639","end_ms":"863040","text":"finding watching and imitating an old man in a neighboring village who had trained in the ascetic life from","start_time_text":"14:16"},{"start_ms":"863040","end_ms":"869519","text":"his youth now once anthony had learned all he could from this man he moved on to see and learn from others like him","start_time_text":"14:23"},{"start_ms":"869519","end_ms":"875040","text":"so he visited each of these men observed their practices and carefully considered the advantage","start_time_text":"14:29"},{"start_ms":"875040","end_ms":"881199","text":"in discipline that each man had in relation to what anthony already knew and then gathering the attributes of","start_time_text":"14:35"},{"start_ms":"881199","end_ms":"886800","text":"each of them to himself anthony returned home so in athanasius is telling anthony's","start_time_text":"14:41"},{"start_ms":"886800","end_ms":"893279","text":"achievements went beyond assembling all of the existing best qualities of the ascetics who lived in egyptian villages","start_time_text":"14:46"},{"start_ms":"893279","end_ms":"898560","text":"once he learned and mastered all of these existing techniques anthony pushed beyond the physical borders of the","start_time_text":"14:53"},{"start_ms":"898560","end_ms":"904000","text":"village and the spiritual limits that village life had set and he moved first to a tomb on the","start_time_text":"14:58"},{"start_ms":"904000","end_ms":"909680","text":"fringe of his village then he went
