Rome's Struggles

Pax Roman 27-180.  3rd century AD there were many diseases and it spread quickly.  Emperors start to loose hold on power, and there was too many poor people.  Diocletian reformed Rome, increased army to 400,00 people.  That is 1/3 bigger than during Augustus' time.  He recruited people from the barbarians.  New government had 20,000 people.  10x bigger than when Augustus was in power.  300 AD: 60 million people in the Roman empire.  Several million of them were Christians.  Christians used to be a weird little cult.  Diocletian ruled from 284-305.  At first he left the Christians alone but then he persecuted them like crazy.  Constantine ruled as emperor from 306-337.  A large fire broke out in his palace destroying lots of things except for a Christian church, so they blamed it on the Christians.  Diocletian made Christians give sacrifice to Jupiter, those who didn't were to be tortured.  Constantine changed the Roman empire by his conversion to Christianity.  Constantine made Christianity officially a Roman religion.