Christian Morality Against the Background of Pagan Corruption

The eighty-four years from the accession of Nerva to the death of Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 96 -- A.D. 160) forms a period, as we have seen, in which the pagan civilization and culture of the Graeco-Roman world was at the height of its glory. It was the golden age of literature. The far-flung empire stood under a well-ordained jurisdiction. The seas had been swept free from piracy. Commerce flourished on the Mediterranean Sea. There was protection of life and property. Improved methods of farming...