Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

28

Jesus is one of the core pieces to Christianity.
-Respected religious leader of Christianity
-After his death, his disciples were still convinced he was still alive. They converted others to believe in him which led to a new religion; Christianity
-His public career influenced the future of Jewish Palestine
-Sentenced by the Pontius Pilate to be scourged and crucified by the Romans
-His crucifixion represented Christianity's doctrines of salvation and atonement

Roman Rule of Israel

56

Time when Judea's five land sections were reorganized.
-Purpose was to destabilize the nation and be certain that popular resistance would be impossible
-Julius Caesar restored certain territories to Judea
-There was total destruction of Jerusalem
-Jews survived despite the Romans destroying their temple
-Without the framework of the temple, the Jewish community gradually recovered
-The religious Jewish religious law called Halakhah followed these events and served as a common bond among Jews

Paul of Tarsus

63

Paul of Tarsus (also known as Paul the Apostle), was an apostle who taught the gospel of Christ to the first-century world.
-Founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe
-Supposedly dedicated to persecuting the early disciples of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem
-Antioch served as a major Christian center for Paul's evangelism
-His epistles are vital roots to worship and pastoral life in the Catholic and Protestant traditions
-13 of the 27 books in the New Testament have been dedicated to him

The Great Fire of Rome

64

Due to the Christian community's refusal to worship the Pagans' gods, they were punished. Christians were exposed to terrifying forms of torture; some were thrown to the beasts and others were burned alive. The earliest record of Christian torture dates back to 64 AD. At this time, the Great Fire of Rome was occurring and was suspected to be started by Emperor Nero. He had some Christians used as torches in his garden, and others were used as scapegoats during the fire.

Perpetua

203

Surprisingly, Christianity managed to not be destroyed by the Romans. Their generous acts were appreciated by many. For instance, Christians helped heal people who were ill. Also, the Roman noblewoman Perpetua was a ro-model to the religion. Perpetua had a written diary of her imprisonment. In the final section of the diary, it includes of Perpetua and her slave Felicity were thrown to the beasts and she sacrificed herself because Felicity had recently given birth. This piece inspired many.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

The Great Persecution was the last and by far most severe persecution of Christians. Emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius and Constantius were the most cruel persecutors. Different areas had different levels of torture; the people who were in the Eastern provinces had it the worst. Diocletian even went as far as to destroy the Christians' churches. Luckily, the persecution of Christians did not last much longer because Constantine and Licinius soon issued the Edict of Milan.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

• The Battle of Milivan was a battle between Emperors Constantine and Maxentius. -Fought over the rule of Tiber -The battle marked the beginning of Constantine's conversion to Christianity -Maxentius and Constantine battled despite they were brother in laws -Constantine put an image of the cross on his battle shields

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict of Milan was a document signed by Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius that abolished the torture of Christians.
-Licinius eventually turned on Constantine because he desired full control over the Roman Empire
-Constantine defeated Licinius in a battle, further proving that God was on his side
-After Constantine gained complete leadership, he built a new city in the east called Constantinople; it was filled with churches and dedicated to the Christian God

Constantine the Great

313

Christianity grew with the support of Constantine. Constantine came to power after a series of civil wars that destroyed the tetrarchy established by Diocletian. In 313 AD, Constantine met with eastern emperor Licinius and created the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan made Christianity legal, and removed all restrictions on Christian worship. Eventually, Licinius and Constantine came into conflict with control over the empire. Constantine defeated Licinius and believed God was on his side.

Emperor Theodosius

395

Emperor Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both halves of the Roman Empire.
- Dealt with Germans for exchange of land and provisions and their soldiers would serve under the Roman banner when needed
-Trapped people in an arena and had his soldiers kill them all
-In 393, Theodosius banned all pagan rituals of the Olympics in Ancient Greece
-He sought to rebuild the army in Thessalonica
-He also sought coexistence with the barbarians