Late Antiquity
(284 to 500)
What happened?
The Late Antiquity is a modern name for the period in the Mediterranean region, the Near East and mainland Europe, during the transition from the Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The time between ± 300 - 600 is referred to as the Late Antiquity, but is discussed among historians. Precise boundaries fo the period are a continuing matter of discussion. Generally it can be thought of as from the end of the Roman Empire's Crisis of the Third Century (235-284), the beginning of the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (284 AD) to the Early Muslim conquests (622-750). In the West the end was earlier with the start of the Early Middle Ages or even with the edges of the Western Roman Empire. Cultural historian Jacob Burckhardt coined the term "Spätantike Zeit'" in 1853.
Diocletian carried out a large-scale reorganization and restructuring of the Roman Empire. He administratively divided the Empire into a Western and an Eastern part, among other things to simplify its administration. This division of the Roman Empire would become known as the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire (= Byzantine Empire).
The Roman Empire underwent serious social, cultural and organizational changes. Both halves of the Empire were ruled by multiple emperors simultaneously. The divisions between the Greek East and Latin West became more pronounced. The Diocletianic Persecution was ended by Galerius in the early 4th century. Constantine the Great made Christianity legal in the Empire. Theodosius the Great made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Constantine's new foundation of Constantinople became the permanent imperial residence in the East by the 5th century.
Also the strenthening of the Emperor's sacred status and the Migration of the People resulted in the transformation of the western part of the Roman Empire into a Germanic-Romanesque world. It would leave its mark on the Western Middle Ages. Migrations of Germanic, Hunnic ans Slavic tribes disrupted Roman rule from the late 4th century on, culminating in the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476. The Western Empire was replaced by so-called barbarian kingdoms. The resultant cultural fusion of all these traditions formed the foundations of the subsequent culture of Europe.
Roman imperial rule continued in the East. There the Byzantine-Sasanian wars continued.
Roman Bronze / Billon Legionary Ring
± 100 to ± 400
This is a bronze / billon (= alloy of silver and copper) ring with plain ring band. The oval bezel is decorated with Legionary "Aquila wings".
Roman soldier had good equipment. The Romans were almost invincible, for they had nothing too much and nothing too little. The helmet was only to protect the head. They had two lances or spears, an iron sword and daggers. The breastplate, made of metal plates with hinges, was one of the most important things. It protected the heart. The shoulder plates were made of the same material and served to protect the shoulders. The large shield weighed ± 6 kilos and almost completely protected the soldier. All in all it weighed up to 30 kilos together.
The Roman legionnaire was a plebeian, commoner, under 45 years old, with Roman citizenship, who usually volunteered to fulfill his military service. Philosophers, teachers, doctors and priests were exempt from this. After the year 150, the Roman army changed a lot.
The Aquila (= the eagle) represents the soul of the legion. Each legion has one aquila, and when they lose it in battle, it ends it. It's a great shame. The Aquilifer (= the eagle bearer) carries the eagle on a stand as a sign of the legion. Furthermore, together with other standard bearers, he manages the legionaries' wages and serves as a confidant.
Rings were important status symbols for the Romans. During the Roman Republic (510 BC - 27 BC) there were strict rules for wearing this jewelry. They started wearing engagement rings. The appearance of those rings depended on the social position of the wearer. Only members of certain classes, patricians (= the nobility), were allowed to wear gold rings.
Sometimes necklaces, bracelets, and rings were given to a legionnaire as an award for his actions on the scene.
Ancient Roman Clock
± 100 to ± 500
Bronze is in fact a composition of copper ore and tin, it does not occur naturally in nature. Copper is easy to bend and easy to change into shape. In the Bronze Age (3500 BC - 750 BC) this material was not useful for making swords.
Man discovered that mixing molten copper with molten tin yielded a golden yellow metal with a pink glow. That metal was much stronger than copper. Over time, copper changes color and turns greenish. The advent of metal was a great leap forward, for man could make better weapons, tools and objects.
Many bronze objects are found, because they were kept in graves, where they gave objects to the dead. They also threw such objects into rivers as offerings to the gods.
People learned to process metal better. Applications for metal objects increased. Bronze made it possible to cast it in all kinds of shapes. Its glossy appearance made it very attractive and sought after. They knew how to make weapons (e.g. daggers), jewelery (e.g. bracelets) and utensils (e.g. fish hooks).
From 800 BC, iron is increasingly replacing bronze. Bronze was very common in Ancient Greek and Roman civilization. A large number of bronze artifacts had a greater status than a stone sculpture. The Etruscans, in particular, were specialized in the processing of bronze.
The oldest clock or bell was found in China. The first bells in Europe were cast in the 4th-5th century. Usually these were church bells to call people for the church service. But they were also to warn the population against danger or to gather. The clock was also used to indicate the time. Another application was to serve as a musical instrument for the carillon.
Iron Twisted Handle Knife. Found: Vienna, Austria (JN0534)
Ancient Roman Medicine Scalpel
± 200 to ± 500
The medicine the ancient Romans practiced was a combination of limited scientific knowledge, deeply rooted religion, and the mythological system. Their knowledge of anatomy was impressive. Many surgical techniques were only surpassed in modern times. The use of drugs and cures was quite simplistic and largely ineffective. The teachings of the Greek Hippocrates (460 – 384 BC) were largely adopted. Hippocrates created medicine apart from any philosophical or mythological approach. He is therefore recognized as the father of modern medicine.
The Romans combined scientific methods with religious and mythological ceremonies. In addition to observation, the Romans recorded prayers and offerings to the gods. They hoped to achieve more success this way. Many gods had healing powers. Aesculapius, god of healing, still serves (2021) as a symbol of the medical world. The doctors of that time were just craftsmen. Later, medical schools were established. Roman legions had the advantage of experienced medical personnel. The civilian doctors were mostly Greek slaves.
Galen (131 – 201 AD) was a prominent physician. He distanced himself from the mythical approach and followed the observation. He dissected bodies, studied the functioning of the human body, and experimented with many procedures to find medical solutions. He recorded his studies in books. Certainly “barbaric” techniques were used. Yet their ancient medical treatment until the 19th and 20th centuries was the most capable the world knew.
Samaritan Ring
± 300 to ± 400
Samaritans were suppressed under the rule of the Roman Empire in the first centuries of the Western era. After the division of the Roman Empire under the Byzantine Emperor Zeno in the fifth century, Samaritans and Jews were often persecuted. In 529 a war of independence failed. Thousands of Samaritans were killed. The Samaritan religion was only tolerated in the Christian Byzantine Empire.
A mountain is depicted on the ring. Mount Gerizim has been the sacred mountain of the Samaritans for thousands of years. The blessing was pronounced on the mountain by divine decree. This has traditionally been identified with the holy mountain, a claim that, in the Samaritan belief, overrides that of the rival Temple of Jerusalem.
The mountain is 881 m high and is located on the West Bank. It is a sacred place for Samaritans who also inhabit this mountain. On the mountain ruins have been found that are probably of a castle built by the Roman emperor Justinian. Blessings were pronounced on the mountain and occurs six times in the Hebrew Bible. Mount Ebal is the opposite from which the curses were pronounced.