Part 9/14:
Recently, environmental factors have gained attention. Scholars point to climate change, suggesting that early Roman prosperity coincided with a period of favorable climate (the Roman climate optimum). This allowed crop yields and population growth. After AD 150, climate variability and cooler, drier conditions, combined with pandemic diseases (like the plague), negatively affected agriculture and economy, contributing to decline.
Cultural and Social Change
Some historians challenge the emphasis on decline altogether, emphasizing the period's vibrant culture and religious developments:
The establishment of Christianity and later Islam
Growth in Christian theological thought
The development of monasteries, new social institutions, and cultural exchanges