Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel

64 BCE

The Roman rule of Israel lasted from 64 BCE to 313 CE. Later, Julius Caesar took control and under his rule, Judaism was recognized as a religion. In 66 - 135 AD Jewish-Roman tensions resulted in wars and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple. Around this time, Christianity developed from Second Temple Judaism. By 313, the Edict of Milan was issued, eventually leading into Christianity becoming the state church of the Roman Empire and the persecution of Jewish people.

Jesus of Nazareth

4

Jesus of Nazareth, also know as Jesus Christ, was believed to be born from 4-6 and died in 30 CE. Jesus was a religious leader, and a central figure in Christianity. He spent much of his life spreading his ideas throughout the country, gaining 12 disciples. However, his career was short lasting. Jesus went to observe Passover in Jerusalem. He was arrested, tried, and executed there. His disciples still believe he lived. They went around and continued to spread his ideas, starting Christianity.

Paul of Tarsus

4

Paul of Tarsus was believed to be born in 4 and died in 62-64 CE. He was a religious leader and considered to be the most important person after Jesus in terms of Christianity. Originally, he wanted to stomp out Christianity. It was said he changed when he was traveling and the resurrected Jesus appeared before him. He was crucial in developing Christianity and he wrote letters that immensely influenced Christian theology, especially the relationship between God and Jesus.

The Great Fire of Rome

64

On the evening of July 19, a fire broke out in the shops around the Circus Maximus. The fire lasted for 6 days before the people got control of it, but it reignited and burned another 3 days. It destroyed 10/14 of Rome's districts and many old temples. 70% of Rome got destroyed. Although, many historians believe Nero started the fire, Nero blamed the fire on Christians to stop their growing influence. He ended up killing many of those Christians on the excuse that they started the fire.

Perpetua

182

Perpetua was born in 182 and died March 7, 203 CE. She was a Christian martyr and she wrote the The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. She lived in Carthage and was drawn to Christianity. In 203, she and four other friends were arrested for preparing for baptism. Refusing to renounce their faith, they were sentenced to death. She wrote a diary over her imprisonment, her dreams, etc. Her diary was praised by Christians and is a very influential text in Christianity.

Great Persecution of 303

303

The Great Persecution of 303 was the last and most severe persecution of Christians. At the time, the four emperors had a plan, to reunify the empire and part of the plan involved the belief of the old gods, so they thought that Christians were in their way. The released a series of edicts that restricted Christian rights and forced them to comply with traditional beliefs. Many Christians and Christian leaders were killed during this time period.

Constantine the Great

306

Constantine the Great ruled from 306-337. He came to power after a battle against a rival. Before the battle,Constantine had a vision of a cross in the sky, and the words: In Hoc Signo Vinces. Afterwards, he had a dream where he was told to mark his soldier's shields with the first two letters of Christ's Name. He did it and won the battle. He became emperor, and issued the Edict of Milan, which ended unfair treatment of Christians. He spread the religion throughout Rome, and helped it grow.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

The Battle of Milvian Bridge was a critical turning point for Christianity. It's the battle where Constantine fought Maxentius for power and control. Constantine had his vision of the cross in the sky and the words: In Hoc Signo Vinces, (In this sign, prevail) before this battle. He ordered his soldiers to paint a cross or the first two letters of Christ's name on their shields. They won this battle and it's one of the reasons the religion spread.

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine and Licinius that granted people religious freedom. It was issued in February of 313 CE as a result of a political agreement in Milan between the two emperors. Although the exact words of the edict aren't know, the Edict made sure that Christians had rights, that their property was returned to them, and that all people had the right to worship whatever deity/god they wanted to.

Emperor Theodosius

379

Theodosius was the emperor from 379 to 395. From 379 - 392, he was the emperor of the east, and 392 - 395 the sole ruler of Rome. He established the creed of the Council of Nicaea as the universal norm of Christian orthodoxy. Theodosius also issued the Edict of Thessalonica, which made Christianity the official religion of Rome.