Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel (begins)

27 BCE

1. this age started in 27 BC and ended in AD 476. 2.Jews migrated to Rome and Roman Europe from the Land of Israel. 3.In Rome, Jewish communities enjoyed privileges and thrived economically. 4.became a significant part of the Empire's population 5.Under Julius Caesar, Judaism was officially recognized as a legal religion, a policy followed by the first Roman emperor, Augustus.

Jesus of Nazareth

4 BCE

1.was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader.
2.Most Christians believe he is the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited Messiah.
3. modern scholars mostly agree that Jesus existed historically.
4.Jesus debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God, engaged in healings, taught in parables and gathered followers.
5.He was crucified on a cross by the roman government.

The great fire of Rome

64

1.The fire started at merchant shops around the chariot stadium.
2.After six days of agony the fire was finally controlled and stopped.
3.The emperor blamed this fire on the christian community in Rome.
4.This initiated the empire's first prosecution against the Christians.
5.According to history the fire started in shops that had things that were flammable

Paul the apostle

64

1.commonly known as Saint Paul and also known by his Jewish name Saul of Tarsus.
2.was an apostle (although not one of the Twelve Apostles).
3.Paul is generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age.
4.He took advantage of his status as both a Jew and a Roman citizen.
5.Paul was dedicated to persecuting the early disciples of Jesus.

Perpetua

181

1.Christian martyr who wrote The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.
2.Her text is one of the rare surviving documents written by a woman in the ancient world.
3.Carthage in the 2nd century AD had a vibrant Christian community.
4.Sometime after 201, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus forbade conversion to Christianity
5.she was tried, refused to renounce her faith, and were condemned to death in the arena.

Constantine the great

272

1.He was a emperor that served through 306 and 376 AD
2.His father was Caesar who was one of the most famous emperors.
3.He became a military tribune through the years
4.As emperor, Constantine enacted administrative, financial, social, and military reforms to strengthen the empire
5.His reputation flourished during the lifetime of his children and for centuries after his reign.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

1.This was the last and most severe prosecution of the Christians.
2.In 303 the emperors wanted the christian to reform to their religion so they took the christian rights.
3. edicts targeted the clergy and demanded universal sacrifice, ordering all inhabitants to sacrifice to the gods.
4.the intensity of the prosecution varied on where you were in the empire.
5.Christians had always been subject to local discrimination in the empire.

battle of milvian bridge

312

1. took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine and Maxentius. 2.Constantine won the battle and started on the path that led him to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire.
2. Maxentius died in the Tiber river during the battle.
3. Maxentius body was later taken from the river and decapitated, and his head was paraded through the streets. 5.The battle marked the beginning of Constantine's conversion to Christianity.

Emperor Theodosius

347

1.was a Roman Emperor from 379 to 395.
2.was the last emperor to rule over both the Eastern and the Western halves of the Roman Empire.
3.Theodosius campaigned against Goths and other barbarians who had invaded the Empire.
4.He made it so that Christianity was Rome's religion.
5.He banned the pagan rituals at the Olympic games