Archimedes Invents Gunpowder

Cornelius

I stand by my precedent post: losing a battle is not enough to cancel a religion.
Costantinus legalized christianity because it was already a religion with a lot of followers, not out of kindness. The following emperors used christianity as a way to unite empire, just like the third century emperors tried to use the solar cult.

I don't think that you could do more than Julian to restore paganism. The actual key to dilsodge christianity is to have another religion with the same appeal to the people. After all christianity prospered notwithstanding three century of persecution.
 

MerryPrankster

About the persecutions, the persecution didn't get *really* bad until Christianity was too strong to exterminate (Diocletian).

Most of the time, it was localized and short-lived--Nero's burning of Christians in Rome to light his parties, for example.
 

Cornelius

About the persecutions, the persecution didn't get *really* bad until Christianity was too strong to exterminate (Diocletian).

Most of the time, it was localized and short-lived--Nero's burning of Christians in Rome to light his parties, for example.
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Yes, you are perfectly rigth. But the point is that christianity gained followers while the traditional religions and the cults imposed by the emperors never gained a foothold.
If you want to reduce christianity in the fourth century you need more than a lost battle and a new persecution.
 

Octavian

Sorry for the hiatus everybody.

376 A.D.-A civil war erupts in the west between the backers of Flavius, who is 15 at the time, and the backers of Gallus.

377 A.D.-The Thervingi, a tribe of Goths, appear on the Danube frontier asking the Romans for shelter across the Danube from the rampaging Huns. The emperor Decentius denies them access and when the Goths try to fight their way in they are repelled by the gunpowder weapons of the Romans. They disappear in Roman sources after this but they are later mentioned as a subject people of the Huns.

378-381 A.D.-The civil war is bloody and soon drags over into the eastern Roman empire with Decentius officially backing Flavius. Most of Flavius' support comes from Britain, Gaul, and Germania while Gallus is backed in Africa, Hispania, and Italy. After mostly indecisive fighting in 340 Flavius leads an invasion into Italy to take the throne. In 341 Flavius' forces are defeated at the battle of Mediolanium and Flavius is killed not long after by assassins.

382 A.D.-Gallus takes the name Constantius III and becomes the undisputed ruler of the west, having the mother of Flavius executed.
 

MerryPrankster

When the Huns come, I would imagine they'd be in very serious trouble.

Gunpowder was what (IIRC) gave the settled people the means to finally defeat the horse barbarians.
 

Cornelius

When the Huns come, I would imagine they'd be in very serious trouble.

Gunpowder was what (IIRC) gave the settled people the means to finally defeat the horse barbarians.
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Maybe, but I would say that the real key factor is rate of fire. The main advantage of fireweapons, at this stage of development, is the ability to penetrate heavy armour. Against huns you need a fast rate of fire to keep them off. IIRC, the chinese preferred the crossbow to the matchlock against the nomads.

Anyway the schock effect of cannons and rockets is nothing to sneeze at.
 
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