Christianity and the Late Roman Empire

[Frank]

Soldiers were very practical people, ...

Of course they were. When emperor Anastasius finally payed the soldiers fully in gold instead in kind partially, the recruitment problems disappeared immediately. And these new soldiers have been all good roman christians. Christian pacifism and its impact on the decline of Rome is terribly overrated, especially in the older science of history.

Btw, it is still unclear if the christians christianized the romans more, than the romans romanized christianity or vice versa 8)