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The under lying success of the Anthonine emperors, so called because of their family name, or the five good emperors so called because there were five of them, was due to a principle called co-option.
五贤帝又称为安敦宁皇帝，因为这是他们的姓，而他们之所以被成为五贤帝是因为前后一共有五位皇帝 他们都是由和平传位当上皇帝的。
The first four of these emperors did not pass the Imperium down to their male offspring.
五贤帝中的前四位都没有把帝权交给自己的子孙。
Instead Nerva, Trajan, Hagran and Antonius Pius selected a promising young man from the roman upper classes, adopted this man into their family, and groomed him as the future princeps.
涅尔瓦 图拉真 哈德良和安托尼乌斯·披乌斯都从罗马上层阶级中选择了一位前途无量的年轻人，收为养子，立为储君。
For once the Roman Empire experienced a smooth transition of power from the princeps to a worthy successor.
这段时期里，罗马帝国经历了一段平稳的权力过渡期，储君都能成为受人尊敬的继位者。
One common thread connecting these emperors was their belief that both the princeps and the state should serve the good of the human race,
这些皇帝的一个共同信念就是储君和政府都应当为人类的利益而服务，
the solace generus humani and not the other way around.
为了慰藉人类而非相反。
Although class inequities, gender inequities and other such things were still practiced,
虽然阶级不平等，性别不平等和其它类似的问题仍然存在，
then is now, the so called five good emperors did their best to level the playing field for all Romans.
但是当时的五贤帝已经尽了各自最大的努力为所有罗马人争取平等。
Unfortunately the fifth good emperor was a very good emperor,
不幸的是，第五个贤君自己是一个非常好的皇帝，
the stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, he picked as a successor his worthless son Commodus.
斯多葛学派哲学家马可·奥勒留，但他却选择了自己的儿子康茂德继位。
Breaking the practice of coaction and dragging the empire down along with it.
破坏了和平传位的惯例，将整个罗马帝国带上了下坡路。
In segment 12d, church and state in the early empire,
12d 罗马帝国早期的教堂和政府，
we compare the rather stale Roman state religion with the rising Christian sect.
我们将陈腐的罗马国教与崛起的基督教相比较。
The worship of the old Greco Roman deities had served Rome pretty well over the centuries,
数世纪以来，罗马人对于古希腊罗马神灵的崇拜都一直很好，
it had built a common roman identity and as the Romans themselves believed ensured the success of their nation.
建立起了罗马人的共同身份认同，罗马人自己也认为正是这种信仰确保了他们国家的胜利。
But better living conditions raised questions about the purpose of human existence and the hope for some kind of satisfactory afterlife
但是更好的生活条件就带来了关于人类存在的目的和希望有令人满意的后世生活的问题，
and in these areas the Roman state religion was found greatly wanting.
而在这些问题上，罗马国教就显得力不从心了。
Although the Romans generally tolerated other's religions so long as they didn't threaten the Mos Majorum too badly
尽管罗马人一直都可以包容不同的宗教 只要这些宗教对自己的祖先传统不造成太大的威胁，
the government does seem to have taken a quick dislike to the Christians.
但是罗马政府似乎对基督教很快就产生了厌恶之情
The Christians were persecuted sporadically as early as the reign of Nero.
基督教徒早在尼禄大帝时期就开始时不时地遭到迫害。
But widespread persecution took longer to build up.
但是过了一段时间才开始有大规模的迫害
The Christian faith was itself going through important adjustments especially organizational.
与此同时，基督教信仰自身也在经历重要的改变，尤其是组织结构上有了很大改变。
And we will trace these items too.
我们在之后也会讲到。
Enlightenment historians such as Edward gibbon often blame Christianity for undercutting Rome's Mos Majorum. And for making Rome weak.
像爱德华·吉本这样的启蒙时代史学家常常会怪罪基督教削弱了罗马祖先遗风的力量，因为让罗马变得衰落。
