Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel

63 BCE

Roman general Pompey in his eastern campaign claimed Syria as part of Rome in 64 BC and conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC. Originally the land belonged to the Canaanites next the Israelites conquered the land after the Hellenists or Greeks took over, than Rome claimed the land. Jerusalem has a long history of being fought over and attacked. Jerusalem has been fought over sixteen times, destroyed twice, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

Jesus of Nazareth

4 BCE

Jesus was born around 4-6 BC He was proclaimed as the son of God which actually wasn’t uncommon, but the unique thing about Jesus is that he wasn’t a ruler. At around AD 27-29 Jesus started to preach about Christianity which was a new religion. He was persecuted and later crucified at around AD 30-36. After his death, three days later the tomb was empty. The early believers of Christ went to spread the word to everyone and traveled all around the world.

Paul of Tarsus

33

Paul who was before known as Saul would persecute Christians on his trip to Jerusalem he was struck down in the road and saw the resurrected Jesus and was blinded. When he regained his eyesight three days later, he became a Christian and spread his beliefs. Paul also wrote letters to many different churches which have become the many of the books in the new testament. He also started 14 churches in his lifetime.

Great Fire of Rome

64

On July 19, 64 AD the shops with flammable items started to catch on fire then the Circus Maximus stadium burst into flames the fire lasted for six days then it was eventually put out. The night the fire started, there were high winds causing the flames to spread rapidly. As a result, 10 out of 14 Roman districts were burnt. Many historians believe that Emperor Nero started the fire so he could rebuild Rome to his liking without being opposed by the senate.

Perpetua

203

Prepetua was a young mother and a Christian martyr. She was arrested by the Romans and thrown in prison. Later she was sentenced to be executed because she refused to abandon her faith. While she was in prison she had visions from heaven which lead her to accept her fate. Her fearlessness towards death puzzled the Romans and many questioned their views. She wrote a diary about her time in prison which was read in many early churches for centuries.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

Christians have been persecuted for a long time, but were still spreading this was unacceptable for Emperor Diocletian. Emperor Diocletian wanted to bring Rome back together like it once was. He believed that Christianity is the reason all the problems arose in Rome and organised a nationwide persecution. He made every citizen worship the old gods and any who refused were thrown in jail or executed. During this time thousands of Christians died and many churches were burned.

Constantine the Great

312

Constantine was a Roman Emperor at the start of his rule he went into battle. Before that battle he had a dream, in his dream he saw the cross which said, "In this sign, you will conquer." He put the first to letters of Christ's name on the shield and prepared for the Battle of Milvian Bridge. After he allowed people to practice Christianity. Soon the most persecuted religion became the official religion in the roman empire.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

After a dream where Emperor Constantine saw the cross which said, "In this sign, you will conquer." He made all the soldiers put the first two letters of Christ's name on their shields. He believed the vision went that he would win the battle. In the battle he was able to see his opponents weaknesses and used it to become victorious. He claimed that God gave him the victory and made sure that Christianity became legal and made a new capital with many churches.

Edict of Milan

313

Emperor Constantine won the battle with the help of Christ. At this time in Rome Christianity was a highly persecuted religion. Emperor Constantine decided to pass the Edict of Milan. This proclamation meant that Christians can't be persecuted and that they are able to freely practice their religion.Constantine converted himself to Christianity which made many Romans follow his lead. Soon the Emperor made the new capital of Rome Constantinople where many churches where placed.

Emperor Theodosius

379

Emperor Theodosius was the last Emperor of Rome. His rule lasted from 379-395 AD. During his time as Emperor, Theodosius had to deal with the Gothic problem and unification of the empire. He solved these issues by Visigoths allies and making Christianity the official religion of Rome to help bring the Romans together. Other religions where still allowed to be practiced but Christianity became the most spread religion and still is today.