Lecture 17

The Early Christian City

The second century AD witnessed the high-point of the ancient city--in terms of wealth, size, and monumentalization.  In the third century, however, problems arose and the cities changed in dramatic ways.  The rise of Christianity in the fourth century changed the cities further and created a new kind of monumentalization based on a universal religion.

A. Crisis of the Third Century

1. The third century witnessed economic collapse, economic ruin, civil war, and barbarian invasion.

2. There was a serious socio/economic crisis that involved the civic aristocracy.

a. For one reason or another, the civic institutions ceased to work and civic functions failed: public building, water, sanitation -- and the payment of taxes.

b. It is difficult to know exactly why this happened, but this must have had some connection with the unwillingness or inability to perform their customary service to the cities where they lived.

c. Many aristocrats seem to have abandoned the cities, either for imperial service or to spend their lives on rural estates (latifundia).

3. The imperial government was forced to play a larger role in urban affairs -- the Roman "alliance of cities" began to unravel.

4. For the first time in hundreds of years cities were threatened with attack and one result was the construction of new fortifications.

a. Examples Trier and Athens.

b. Cities contracted within the formidable, heavy walls and their "look" and atmosphere changed -- apparently into one of uncertainty or even despair.

5. The imperial government moved from the openness and liberality of the early Empire to the tyranny of the "Dominate." 

6. Nonetheless, public buildings continued to be built -- but commonly now with imperial funds.

B. Christianity

1. Constantine (AD 306-337) was the first Roman emperor to support Christianity and to encourage its followers.

2. Constantine, and most of his successors, gave lavish gifts to the Christian church -- and contributed to the building of church buildings.

a. The fourth century was characterized by competition and conflict between paganism and Christianity.

b. This had powerful ramifications for the organization and appearance of cities.

c. The temples fell into ruin as Christianity grew and the state took away the temples' endowments.

d. Lavish Christian churches (and even synagogues) were built.

e. Bishops and the rest of the Christian clergy came to have leadership positions in the cities.

3. Appearance of churches.

a. Churches were designed to hold large numbers of people -- in this way they were much more like the agora/forum than like the pagan temple.

b. They were frequently monumental buildings -- often constructed by emperors or aristocrats, who now often competed with each other in their construction and decoration.

c. Large churches were built in the cities and smaller ones in the countryside.

d. Two basic types of churches: basilicas and centrally-planned churches.

e. Decorated with expensive marble and mosaics (on the walls and the floors).

C. Constantinople

1. Constantine founded a new city on the Bosphoros to commemorate his military victories.

2. Constantinople was located in a favorable location, equidistant to the main military frontiers and astride the main routes of communication and trade.

3. Constantine did not "move the capital" from Rome to Constantinople, but this city came more and more to dominate Roman civilization.

4. Constantinople survived -- essentially as a Christian ancient city -- for a thousand years, until its fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

D. Fall of the West and the end of the Ancient City

1. In the course of the fourth century Germanic barbarian tribes settled gradually in many parts of the Roman West.

2. Slowly Roman political power waned until it essentially disappeared (the traditional date is AD 476, but this doesn't really signify anything really important).

3. In this situation the city in the West essentially collapsed and largely disappeared.

a. Society essentially became "ruralized" and few people continued to live in cities.

b. Among those few were the bishops and their religious organization -- and the bishop came to be the main political leader.

4. Cities had been the main institution of the ancient world: with their disappearance antiquity came to an end.

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