Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel

27 BCE

Paul of Tarsus

5

Commonly known as saint Paul. Originally he was a man named Saul who persecuted disciples of Jesus. Saul was on a mission when one day Jesus appeared to him in a great light and made him blind. After 3 days of being blind his sight was returned to him, and he began preaching the word of God,

Jesus of Nazareth

30

Jesus was a Jewish preacher in the 1st century, who would perform miracles on the helpless. He was believed to be the son of God. He is said to be born on December 25th, but his birthday is unknown. He was arrested and judged by the Jewish authorities before he was turned over to the Roman government. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. As the bible says, he was buried and after 3 days rose again to join the living. His followers eventually formed the first church.

The Great Fire of Rome

64

The fire lasted 6 days and caused widespread devastation throughout Rome. Some blame the Emperor at the time, emperor Nero for the fire, others credit him for getting it under control. Seeing as how a portion of the city heavily populated with christian was not harmed, Nero took no time to blame them for the fire. Emperor Nero began the first Empire wide Christian persecution.

Perpetua

203

Perpetua is a famous story of Christian martyrdom. Perpetua was a married noblewoman, killed for her religion and died as a young mother, with her slave Felicity- who was pregnant at the time. Perpetua and Felicity were put to death with others in Carthage, in the Roman Province of Africa. It is said that when the swordsman was wary about killing her, she guided the sword to her own neck. Perpetua and felicity became saints, they are the patron saints of mothers and expectant mothers.

The Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

This was the last of the Christian Persecutions in the Roman Empire.The emperors at the time repealed the legal rights of the Christians and ordering them to comply with all traditional Roman religious practices. And in February 303, emperor Diocletian began a general persecution of Christians avidly. But an Emperor Constantius was not as avid in the persecutions, and soon it was banned in his domain. It wasn't until Constantine, Constantius' son, that the persecutions finally stopped.

Constantine the Great 306-337

306

During Constantine's reign, Christianity was becoming a dominant religion of the Roman Empire. It is which early form he was devoted to, but Constantine was the one to end the persecution of Christians in his empire. And in 313 Constantine created the Edict of Milan which no longer made Christian worship illegal. And in some churches in know as an example of a christian monarch. Constantine helped the church in many ways, from financial help to returning confiscated church property.

The Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

This battle was between emperors Constantine and Maximus. In the night before the battle Constantine had a vision of him wining the battle with the christian symbol on their shields. And so he had all his soldiers put the christian sign on their shields. The next night he had a dream, where Christ had explained that Constantine will win if he used the sign against his enemies. Constantine won the battle becoming the sole emperor of Rome.

Edict of Milan

313

This was an edict signed my emperors Constantine and Lucinius. Giving legal rights to all religions, especially Christianity.

Emperor Theodosius 346-395

346

Theodosius was the last emperor of the united roman empire. Theodosius was the one to establish Christianity as the official religion of Rome. But he did not get rid of the Hellenistic temples. HE banned pagan rituals. And after his death the roman empire was never again united.