Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

30

Jesus is the religious leader revered in Christianity. His mother was supposedly a virgin, and it was thought that she was pregnant with the child from the Holy Spirit. He became a healer and preacher after he was baptized in his mid- 30's. Sometime between AD 29 and 33, in Jerusalem for Passover, he was deemed a threat and was arrested, tried and executed. His disciples were convinced he was still living and appeared to them. They converted others to belief in him which led to a new religion.

Paul of Tarsus

33

Paul of Tarsus was one of the leaders of the first generation of Christians. He traveled tens of thousands of miles around the Mediterranean spreading the word of Jesus. He taught the Gospel of Christ to the first-century world.

Roman Rule of Israel

64

Roman Empire fought and won Israel from Syria. Taking Israel was strategical. Israel was the cross roads between Europe, Asia, and Africa. They then had easier movement using Israel. The country was largely Jewish, though Rome put up with it to keep Israel from revolting against their rule. Spread the religion from just Pagan to Jewish. At first, Jews under Roman rule went positively until religion unrest. Eventually were only allowed to worship their religion if payed Jewish tax.

The Great Fire of Rome

64

The Great Fire of Rome was a huge fire started by Rome's emperor, Nero that burned down most of Rome except for a small part of Rome that was made up of mostly Christians. Nero sent out many men to start the fire. The fire burned for 9 days, taking many lives and leaving 10 of the 14 religions in ruins. Nero decided to take advantage of the situation and blame the Christians. This persecuted the Christian religion.

Perpetua

203

Perpetua was a young Noblewoman from Rome that wrote down her account for her imprisonment and arrest. She had a vision of her deceased brother in heaven and had dreams of battling the devil and winning a crown from god. Her display of contempt and her expectation of eternal reward affected people and was spread in written form.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

The Great Persecution was a time of massive change in the history of Christianity. The Great Persecution was the last yet most severe prosecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. This event targeted senior priests and church property, as well as ordering the destruction of Christian places of worship and sculptures. Torture was threatened and legal rights were taken away from those who were profound as Christian. The Emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius were responsible.

Constantine the Great

306

Constantine the Great was a Roman emperor that ruled from 306 to 337 AD. He was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. The dominant religion of the Roman Empire began to transition to Christianity because of Constantine. He converted to Christianity because of a vision he had before the Battle of Milvian Bridge.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

On October 28, 312 the Battle of Milvian Bridge occurred, the battle took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Mauritius over who should rule the western half of the empire. When the armies were getting ready for battle Constantine reportedly had a vision as he looked into the setting sun. The vision he had was a cross with the words "By this sign you will conquer" inscribed on it. Constantine won the battle and credited his victory to the God of Christians.

Edict of Milan

313

Edict of Milan was a proclamation signed by Constantine I and Licinius that made Christianity a permanently tolerable religion within the Roman empire. It gave all Christians the right to worship whatever deity they pleased. It also stopped most unfair treatment that Christians were receiving.

Emperor Theodosius

379

Emperor Theodosius was a Roman Emperor that ruled from 379 to 395 AD. He made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. But by doing so he put the church over the Roman Empire and in a way diminished his power. He allowed Christians to relocate. He successfully defended the religion against Paganism and Arianism and gave the religion a temple that was located in Jerusalem.