1. Augustus and the Principate, 31 B.C.-A.D. 68
   Having defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian paved the way for an era of prosperity.
   1. The Political Settlement
      Astute and lucky, Octavian (also known as Augustus) expanded his power by sharing it with the senate and equestrian elites.
   2. The Economic and Social Settlement
      Affluence spread as a result of peace and policy changes in the Roman Empire, where Augustus was deified after his death.
   3. The Culture of the Augustan Age
      A golden age of literary and artistic achievement, the first century A.D. celebrated Roman heroic ideals and the peace of the Augustan Age in the histories of Livy and the poetry of Virgil and Horace.
   4. The Julio-Claudians
      Augustus's successors battled each other and widespread troubles, nevertheless managing to expand imperial political power.
2. The Roman Peace and Its Collapse, A.D. 69-284
   Opportunities for social and economic advancement in a multi-ethnic empire fostered prosperity until foreign and domestic threats caused a sharp decline in the third century.
   1. The Flavians and the "Good Emperors"
      Offering good government along with humane and generous leadership, the Flavians also defended Rome's far-flung borders.
   2. Prosperity and Romanization in the Provinces
      Across the empire, cities became centers for the spread of Roman culture, customs, and citizenship.
   3. Roman Law on Class and Marriage
      One of Rome's greatest legacies, logical and orderly Roman law managed to be both sternly hierarchical and pragmatically flexible.
   4. The Culture of the Roman Peace
      Nostalgia and satire were hallmarks of the Silver Age in Roman literature.
   5. The Crisis of the Third Century, A.D. 180-284
      Troubled by foreign threats, crime, and economic deterioration, the third-century empire fell into a sharp decline.
3. Early Christianity
   From obscure origins in provincial Palestine, Christianity spread along with other tenets of Mediterranean civilization across all of Europe.
   1. Mystery Religions
      Polytheistic Rome witnessed the spread of many beliefs centered on the salvation of the individual, such as the mystery cults of Dionysius, Demeter, Isis, and Mithras and the philosophy of Neo-Platonism.
   2. Jesus of Nazareth
      Emerging during a time of spiritual and political crises, the historical Jesus challenged Jewish and Roman authorities, leading to his death.
   3. Paul of Tarsus
      The missionary convert, Paul, established the key elements of Christian faith and began its break with Judaism.
   4. Expansion, Divergence, Persecution
      Early Christianity spread through and beyond the eastern Roman Empire, developing an orthodox tradition of beliefs and an informal but strong community. Early Christianity was primarily an urban religion.