Dr. John Rao discusses the character of life and organization of government and society in the two main eras of the Roman Empire: the Principate (from Augustus until the 200's A.D.) and the Dominate (200's A.D. onwards). He describes how the Roman system became more and more "totalitarian" in a way that would clash with the expanding Christian vision. Taken from: Early Christianity and Late Antiquity - 1993 VonHildebrand Institute