October 27 -- Christianity in the Roman world

Pliny's correspondence with Trajan
*--persecution (Decius c. 251, Galerius c. 305)
*--resistance to persecution, role of martyrs,
**ingenuity of Roman persecutorial strategy

Constantine's religion (non-ideological, "pagan")

Julian's religion (ideological, "Christianized" paganism)

Valentinian to Theodosius: the triumph of Latin orthodoxy
*381 Council of Constantinople
*384 controversy over Altar of Victory
*391 banning sacrifice

modern controversy over Christianization
*from Harnack (mostly achieved in 3rd century)
*to MacMullen (achieved by brute force in 4th century)

the "paganism" of Christianity:
*substituting ideology for cult/ethos less radical than
**it might seem