Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

4 BCE

Jesus of Nazareth is a religious leader and the central figure in Christianity. The relation of Nazareth to Jesus is Nazareth was the city where angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was also the place where Jesus spent his childhood and youth. He was arrested many times and eventually crucified by the order of Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor. His death is estimated to have taken place between 30 and 36 AD.

Paul of Tarsus

4 BCE

Paul of Tarsus is also known as St. Paul in Christianity and Saul of Tarsus in the Jewish religion. He is considered today to be the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity. Paul of Tarsus traveled tens of thousands of miles around the Mediterranean spreading the word of Jesus. He also came up with the doctrine that turned Christianity from a small part of Judaism to a worldwide faith open to everyone. He is estimated to have died between 62 and 64 AD.

Great Fire of Rome

64

The Great Fire of Rome was an urban fire that began in the merchant shops around the Circus Maximus. Nero blamed the entire disaster on the Christians, which was the empire's first persecutions against the Christians. This event ended on July 23, 64 AD. By the end, two thirds of Rome was destroyed. Out of Rome's 14 districts, 3 got completely destroyed, 7 were partially devastated, and 4 completely escaped the fire.

Roman Rule of Israel

66

In 66 AD, the first Jewish-Roman war started. Four years later, during the Siege of Jerusalem, Rome destroyed much of the Temple in Jerusalem. When Rome took capture of Israel, their empire was extremely large, but also very thin. Israel helped them because of its strategic location. Finally, Rome let Israel keep their religious practices if they paid taxes and kept peace.

Perpetua

182

Perpetua was a Christian martyr. She was born in 182 AD and died in 203 AD. She is most known for writing the Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. This recounted her trial and imprisonment. Her family and other citizens were arrested and they refused to tell the government their religion. This condemned them to death in the arena.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

In 303 AD, Diocletian began the last major persecution of Christians Rome. This resulted in the destruction of churches and torturing and executing Christians because they wouldn't sacrifice to the gods. The emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius made multiple edicts which restricted the Christians' legal rights and they demanded that they must practice traditional Roman religion. An estimated 3,000-3,500 Christans were executed. The Great Persecution of 303 CE ended in 311 AD

Constantine the Great

306

Constantine the Great is best known for being the first Christian Roman emperor. In February of 313 AD, him and Licinius met where they made the Edict of Milan. Constantine built new churches, promoted Christians in government, and gave special rights to clergy. He was very important in the rise of Christianity in Rome. Constantine ended his rule in 337 AD due to death.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between two Roman emperors, Constantine and Maxentius. The cause of this battle was they were each fighting to be the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Constantine supposedly saw a vision before the battle which convinced him and his army to paint symbols of Christianity on their shields. Constantine ended up winning the battle while made him the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Also, this battle destroyed the Tetrarchy establish by Diocletian.

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict of Milan was a letter that was signed by Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius. It made practicing Christianity legal in the Roman Empire. The Edict of Milan paved the way for mass spread of Christianity throughout the empire. This also ended all of the persecutions of the Christians. If the Edict of Milan was never made, Christianity would most likely not be as big as it is today.

Emperor Theodosius

379

Theodosius was the very last emperor to rule over both the Eastern and the Western halves of the Roman Empire. He was known for going against Goths and other barbarians who were invading the empire. Also, he established the Edict of Thessalonica which made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Theodosius was known as 'The Great' because of his crucial impact to the entire Roman Empire. He ended his rule in 395 AD due to death from swelling.