Late Roman Empire
Lower Empire is the Roman Empire one of two cuts historiographical the Roman Empire in the Roman historiography as seen by French historians. These terms are concepts very common, but their respective time limits are not fixed so unanimous.
Summary |
Lower Empire is the final period of the Roman Empire. The expression dates from 1752, with the beginning of the publication of the History of the Lower Empire, Charles Le Beau from 1752 to 1817 in 28 volumes.
The use of the adjective "low" was not negative, since it means the period closest to the present, as opposed to "high". Nevertheless, the term of the Lower Empire has long had a pejorative connotation among French historians, who saw a period of decadence. Currently, where fashion is the rehabilitation of this period, some historians prefer the more neutral names such as Roman or Late Late Antiquity , as the German terminology or Italian ). Anyway, the term consecrated by long usage, is still widely used.
His start date varies according to the authors:
- from 193 , putting the dynasty of Severus in the Roman Empire, or from 180 to classify the Emperor Commodus in this period.
- from 235 , the date given by the dictionary and most commonly used, corresponding to the end of the dynasty of the Severi and the beginning of a long period of political instability.
- from 284 , early reign of Diocletian , which established a regime much more absolute, inspired by the Oriental monarchies.
Indeed, the characteristic of the Lower Empire is precisely the introduction of an absolute regime, the Dominate , which would replace an autocratic but "enlightened" characterizing the Early Empire, the Principality initiated by Augustus (following a historiographical tradition German nineteenth century, a bit outdated).
His end date in the West coincides with the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476 , when the ghost of last emperor ( Romulus Augustus ) was introduced, but it remains unclear as regards the Eastern Roman Empire where the transition with the Byzantine Empire is not marked by a dramatic event.
Roman Empire
This expression is the corollary of the previous one. It means the first period of the Roman Empire, it begins in 27 BC. AD with the principate of Augustus 's reign and includes idealized Antonines.
Upper ends of course when does Empire Lower Empire, which is at the discretion of the authors, as discussed above.
See also
Bibliography
- The History of the Byzantine Empire has been written by Le Beau and Ameilhon , Paris, 1757 , 29 volumes in-12.
- Rome, The Rise and Decline of the Republic, Marcel Le Glay , 1990 , Ed Perrin.
Internal Links
- Cuts Antiquity
- Anglo-Saxon historiography : Classical Antiquity | Late Antiquity
- French historiography : Early Empire | Bas-Empire
- History of the Byzantine Empire:
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