(December 19, 2010 at 3:24 am)Chuck Wrote: The point is Christian homophobia seemed to have made Rome more effete, not more virile.
After 40 years of studying the issue I came to the conclusion that the Roman Empire fell because of "pilot error."
The initial division of the empire by Diocletian set the stage for the impoverishment of the West. Constantine's mistake was to turn the army into an cross of border guards and a single mobile reserve army under his direct command. The border guards could not withstand a determined attack and the mobile reserve could not respond quickly enough to scattered threats. Constantine's reason for this had nothing to do with military necessity and everything to do with preventing rival generals from arising to threaten the emperor....as he had done.
His dalliance with xtianity pales in significance with this decision.
