Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

5 BCE

Jesus of Nazareth is also known as Jesus Christ, or Jesus. Jesus was born into a family. The family was from a village known as Nazareth. Jesus is the central symbol of Christianity. Many Christians believe that Jesus is an incarnation of God. Jesus impacts many lives of people. There were Christians in Rome.

Paul of Tarsus

63

Paul of Tarsus is known as Saint Paul. Saint Paul is a very important person for Christianity. Saint Paul was one of the first people to share the story of Jesus. Saint Paul was an Apostle. He is known as a first generation Christian.

Great Fire of Rome

64

The fire began in the night. The fire erupted by many small shops and merchants. The fire lasted for six days. Although many people did not die in the fire, there was still a lot of damage done to Rome. Nero was an emperor of Rome. He is known to have caused the fire. This is just a rumor, but almost all of the arrows point to Nero. It is believed that Nero burned down Rome so that he could rebuild the empire to his own liking.

Roman Rule of Israel (begins)

100

This was the beginning of the first war between the Jewish and Rome. Future Roman emperors decided to put down this revolt. Many Jews migrated to Rome, from the land of Israel. This sparked a tension in the air between the Romans and the Jewish. This resulted in a conflict. There is a possibility that Jews were the definition of "Pre- Christians".

Perpetua

203

Perpetua was a mother of a son. They were Christian. Unfortunately, this was back when Christianity was seen as something forbidden. Perpetua was put to death in Carhtage. She died because of her religious beliefs.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

The last and most gruesome persecution was the Great Persecution of 303 CE. There is an estimate that anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 Christians died at this persecution. The persecution lasted less than 2 years. Many churches were burnt down. Diocletian was known for his reign during the last great persecution of the Christians.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

This battle was between the emperors Constantine and and Maxentius. The name itself comes from the Milvian Bridge. Constantine won the battle. Therefore, Constantine became the sole ruler of Rome. This battle is rumored to be the mark of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. This began the start of Christianity for Rome.

Constantine The Great

312

Constantine the great was one of the first Roman Emperor's to accept Christianity. Constantine became emperor after the death of his father. Constantine supported Christianity and converted in 312. Instead of hating it and killing people for their beliefs, Constantine converted to Christianity. Many Christians supported him because he accepted them for what they believed in. One of Constantine's greatest achievements was defeating Maxentius in the battle of Milvian bridge.

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict of Milan was a letter. This was made to stop the persecution of Christians in Rome. The letter was signed by Constantine and Licinius The Christians were to be treated with respect. Churches were allowed to be built.

Emperor Theodosius

380

Emperor Theodosius was the last roman emperor of both the Eastern and Western halves of Rome. Theodosius was mad emperor because of his military abilities. Theodosius was very important because of his contributions to Christianity. Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of Rome. He himself converted, and also stopped the persecution of Christians.