Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

4 BCE

Jesus of Nazareth was the central figure of Christianity. He was also referred to as Jesus or Jesus Christ. He was a Jewish preacher and religious leader. Christians believe that Jesus is God’s son. He died of Crucifixion on the cross in 30 AD.

Paul of Tarsus

5

Paul of Tarsus was also known as Paul the Apostle. He taught the gospel of Christ to the first-century world. At first, he persecuted Christians but then the resurrected Jesus appeared before him and he was blinded. He preached Jesus as the son of God after that. Thirteen out of twenty-seven books in the new testament have been traditionally attributed to Paul. He died somewhere around 62-64 AD.

Roman Rule of Israel

44

Israel was a large site of unrest because of the crucifixion of Christ. For a long time, it was its own province and had its own king but Israel was still under Roman rule. It then came under direct Roman control. Israel was rebellious for a long time after. The Roman's reign lasted until 476 AD.

The Great Fire of Rome

64

The fire started in the shops lining the Circus Maximus. It burned for nine days total. Ten out of the fourteen Roman districts were ruined. Two thirds of Rome was destroyed. The Romans blamed Nero for the disaster, but Nero then blamed it on the Christians because the fire did not destroy their part of Rome, thus starting a hatred of the Christians. The fire was put out on July 28, 64 AD.

Perpetua

181

Perpetua was a Christian martyr. She was imprisoned in the Roman state of Carthage. Perpetua was a mother of an infant she was nursing. Many people were executed and she was one of the most prominent, she had a vision from God that in the end, she realizes that martyrs will suffer. Her father begs her to change her faith in order to not be executed but she sticks with Christianity and is now a saint because of her passion. She died in 203 AD.

The Great Persecution of 303

303

The Great Persecution was the last and most severe persecution. It was also known as the Diocletianic Persecution. The Emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of edicts taking away Christians' legal rights. The persecutions were ended by the Edict of Milan.

Constantine the Great

306

Constantine the Great was also known as Constantine I. He wrote the Edict of Milan, which gave religious freedom to all Romans. Constantine restructured the government and introduced the solidus - a gold coin. He was the first Roman to convert to Christianity. He was the emperor of Rome until October 29th, 312 AD.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

This battle marked the beginning of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. The Battle of Milvian Bridge was fought by Constantine vs Maxentius, who were both emperors. Constantine won, and this is where Constantine and his men saw the vision supposedly sent by God. This vision is what Constantine believed was his calling to be a Christian.

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict of Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine and Licinius. It allowed religious freedom for all Romans, specifically Christians. The Edict of Milan stopped the persecution of Christians.
Because of the battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine began to believe in Christianity.

Emperor Theodosius

379

Emperor Theodosius was also called Theodosius the Great. He established Christianity as the state religion for Rome. He was the last Roman emperor to rule a united Roman empire. He banned the Olympics because it was seen as a pagan celebration, not a Christian celebration. He died in 395 AD.