this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2026
16 points (86.4% liked)

AskHistorians

1470 readers
13 users here now

QUESTIONS

  1. Be civil.
  2. Be specific.
  3. Historical topic must be from at least 20 years ago.
  4. Post questions in the title. Elaboration is for the text box.

RESPONSES

  1. Be civil.
  2. Provide comprehensive answers.
  3. Please provide primary and secondary sources upon good faith request. Tertiary sources, like Wikipedia, are not accepted.

askhistorians is a community for academic answers to questions about history. Polls, opinions, bigotry, grammar pedantry, and personal insults will be removed.

Be sure to check out our partner community at: !askscience@lemmy.world !ireland@lemmy.world !dataisbeautiful@lemmy.world !canada@lemmy.ca !world@lemmy.world


founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Theodosius I signs Edict of Thessalonica in 380 CE, making Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire.

In 395, after winning two destructive civil wars, Theodosius I died. He left a collapsing field army, and the Empire divided between the warring ministers of his two incapable sons. Goths and other non-Romans became a force that could challenge either part of the Empire. Further barbarian groups crossed the Rhine and other frontiers. The armed forces of the Western Empire became few and ineffective, and despite brief recoveries under able leaders, central rule was never again effectively consolidated.

Wikipedia - Fall of the Roman Empire

So my question is this - there's only 15 years between the acceptance of Christianity as the state religion and the collapse of the state. What were the effects of forced conversion in the late western Roman empire, and did it accelerate or delay the fall of the empire?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Patnou@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago

Ok. While I pride myself on history. Can you like ELI5 this a little bit? Not that you need to it's probably some reader's won't get it. Or find a different point of view.