Free Sample Essays > European History
What was the most influential event to affect history or modern day
The most influential event in history is the fall of Rome, more specifically was the introduction of Christianity. The Roman people’s values changed from being conquer all and take over the world to bring peace and prosperity to the world without violence. Since everyone was following Christianity and it said to turn the other cheek if someone hits you in the face, no one wanted to fight for the military because they wanted to follow the teachings of Christianity. The money once used for military and economics was being used for churches and spreading Christianity. The last is that the Christian emperors were too harsh in their interpretations of Christianity. If someone disagreed with them on the Bible, they would be killed because they weren’t a true Christian.
Before Christianity was introduced to Rome, the Roman values were honor and duty. Fight for Rome and Die for Rome. Once Christianity was introduced all these were shoved under the rug and forgot about. No one wanted to fight anymore, and in turn the military strength went into a decline and lost the grandeur it once had. Since Rome has lost its military power, it opened new doors for the barbarians to invade Rome. They learned the techniques the Romans used and when they felt they knew enough, they left the army and went back home. They taught these techniques to their own soldiers. Now the barbarians know the secrets of the Roman military. Every weakness is exploited and open for attack. The barbarian tribes took advantage of this and attacked Rome. The Romans were so deeply involved with Christianity that they forgot about their enemies or at least figured since they were Romans, they could defeat them any day they wanted. Once they finally came to fight, the Romans were no where near prepared. Whereas, the barbarians were well prepared because the Romans brought them in to have them fight for them when no one would join the military. The barbarians stayed just long enough to learn the techniques and weaknesses of the military. After this they came and fought the Romans for control of Italy and the Roman Empire. They beat the Romans easily took over the government in the middle of the 3rd Century to the start of the 4th century.
The money once used for military campaigns and equipping the army was now used for charity and devotion. Because Constantine was a Christian, everyone tried to take advantage of him, since Christians were to be fair to all. Constantine granted the Christian clergy special privileges: he allowed people to will their property to the Church. He exempted the clergy from taxes, from military service and forced labor. The tax exemptions for the Christian clergy were followed by a number of wealthy men rushing to join the [next page]