AP World History: Rome in the Classical Era

Part C (from the 2006 AP^® World History Released Exam)

Directions: You are to answer the following question.  You should spend 5 minutes organizing or outlining your essay.  Write an essay that:

• Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with appropriate historical evidence.
• Addresses all parts of the question.
• Uses historical context to show change over time and/or continuities.

3.  Analyze the cultural and political changes and continuities in ONE of the following civilizations during the last centuries of the classical era.

             Chinese, AD 100 to AD 600

             Roman, AD 100 to AD 600

             Indian, AD 300 to AD 600

From 100 to 600 AD, during the last centuries of the classical era, Rome experienced significant changes along with important continuities.  One continuity was Christianity throughout the classical era.  Meanwhile, the politically powerful empire dwindled and fell by 600 AD.  Additionally, in 100 AD, the power of the Roman empire was situated in Rome, but, by 600 AD, it was recentralized in Byzantium.  During the last centuries of the classical era, 100 to 600 AD, in the Roman empire, an imperial religion, barbaric and nomadic attacks, and recentralized power brought significant changes, all the while, the Roman aura remained intact.

            Throughout the classical era in Rome, Christianity continued to flourish.  In the early 300s AD before his attack on Rome, the renowned soldier and leader Constantine had a vision.  In this vision, a sign was revealed to him and he received the command, “in this sign conquer.”  The sign consisted of the Greek letter X (“chi”) written on top of the Greek letter P (“rho”), the first letters of the name of Christ.  Going into battle with this sign painted on his soldiers’ shields, Constantine conquered Rome and became the next Roman Emperor.  The symbol with which he conquered became famous throughout the region, consequently, so did the name of Christ.  Consequently, the Christian church continued to grow and prosper under the empire’s support.  What was once a severely persecuted, yet flourishing, ideology, became the uniting imperial religion.  Christianity defined “Roman” during the last centuries of the classical era, from circa 300 AD to after ancient Rome had ceased to exist in the fifth century.  As a result of this universal identity, Christians throughout Afro-Eurasia could identify themselves as Roman without ever stepping foot on Roman soil.

            In the midst of the classical period, the once powerful Rome fell into nomadic hands.  For two centuries after Rome’s conversion, interior conflicts between Roman authorities and hired Gothic soldiers weakened the structure of the Roman polity.  Thus, when a ferocious nomadic tribe, the Huns, attacked, the last Roman emperor was forced to submit.  For half a century prior to the fall of Western Rome, the Huns had received vast amounts of tribute from the all ready brittle Roman Empire.  Finally, in 476 AD, the Huns overthrew the government of Rome.  Thus, the empire which had prospered for a millennium earlier, dwindled and fell by the end of the classical era, 600 AD.

            In the East of present day Europe soon after the legalization of Christianity in the early fourth century, a new Rome surfaced – Byzantium.  After his conversion, Constantine established a spectacular city, which was eventually referred to as Constantinople, in Byzantium.  This city housed the popular Roman entertainment centers, such as a hippodrome and numerous palaces, outdoing Rome in Italy.  As Old Rome was crumbling and disintegrating at the hands of the Huns, the new center of Roman power was expanding and prospering under the leadership of powerful emperors.  Justinian the Great, establishing himself as emperor in 527 AD, worked to consolidate the Roman Laws, and built the impressively domed Hagia Sophia.  Thus, the key aspects of Roman political and social being, law and Christianity, were recentralized and united in New Rome, Constantinople.

            Throughout the last centuries of the classical era, Rome experienced the continued flourishing of Christianity, the fall of ancient Rome, and the relocation of Roman power.  These continuities and changes eventually influenced the East-West Schism.  When the Huns conquered ancient Rome, they did not completely annihilate the local culture.  And so, Latin Christianity continued.  However, in eastern New Rome, a Greek influenced Christianity developed.  Arguments and debate on Christian doctrine ensued between these two groups until they formally split in what is known as the Great Schism in the eleventh century.  Christianity was then separated into Roman Catholic in Old Rome and Eastern Orthodox in New Rome.