AS WE saw in the last chapter, Christianity came to birth in
a province of the Roman Empire. In the first two centu-
ries following Christ's death, it gradually spread in that empire,
where it was considered by the Romans themselves simply as a
curious variant of Judaism. It was frequently persecuted and,
even when left alone, was not an important political factor.
We have also seen that its philosophy had much in common
with Stoicism and, apart from the Christian refusal to worship
the emperor, was not incompatible with the Roman authority.
When Constantine himself adopted Christianity, this particular
problem disappeared, and the Christian religion became tied
up with the state.

Yet certain conflicts still remained. The Roman world was
pagan and earthly, whatever doctrine of universal brotherhood
might be accepted by certain elements within it. Further, that
empire was in process of decline. Its civilization might be so-
phisticated, but it was also corrupt. Thus from the beginning
there was a battle between the pagan and the Christian view of
life, between two different concepts of morality and of the pur-
pose of human existence.

Because of its corruption and progressive weakness, however,
as well as owing to the split within it that destroyed any common
front, Rome, to the great horror of the civilized population of
the western world, succumbed to the more virile barbarians.
Not only did the city itself at last fall before them: they overran
most of western Europe. Their influx may indeed be interpret-

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