Roman Spread of Christianity

Rome Takes Control of Israel

63 BCE

The Roman governor divided the area into 5 administrative districts. This was meant to destabilize the nation and make it impossible for resistance to occur. John Hyrcanus converted everyone in certain areas to Judaism in his time of reign. By forcing everyone to convert, he helped Christianity to spread.

Birth of Jesus

4 BCE

Jesus was a Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity. He taught lots of people about his religion. Through his religion, people believed they could be given salvation and eternal life. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of Christian faith.

Great Fire of Rome

64

On July 19, a fire broke out among the ships lining the Circus Maximus. It was no normal fire. 2/3 of Rome was destroyed. Even monuments were burnt down. It is often thought that Emperor Nero was responsible for the fire, so that he could order Rome to be rebuilt the way he liked. This would also increase his reputation. The only places to not get burnt down, were the Christian homes, so he used them as a scapegoat. The fire was blamed on them, giving them a bad reputation.

Paul of Tarsus

65

Paul's family were faithful Jews. He originally persecuted the followers of Christ. He had a vision of a bright light when he was traveling to Damascus, it was Christ asking why he was persecuting him. Jesus told him to go into the city and he would be told what to do. Paul was baptized, he then began to teach about Christ. He were ordered to be executed under the orders of Emperor Nero around the year 65. He helped spread word about Christianity by teaching about it.

Perpetua

203

She was a Christian noblewoman who lived in Carthage. At the time, she was living in the center of a vibrant Christian community. Emperor Septimius Severus felt that Christianity was undermining Roman patriotism and he wanted to cripple Christianity. The first Christians arrested were ones preparing for baptism. Perpetua was one of those few. Her father told her to give up her pride, but she said she would stay Christian. This showed how Christians really belive in their faith. She died in 203.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of rules, reducing the rights of Christians and demanding them to convert back to the traditional religion. Christians were often sacrificed. Diocletian purged the Christians. This showed that a lot of people were against the general idea of religious freedom and that Christians would not be tolerated in the Roman Empire for a while.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

Constantine the Great was about to go to battle against Maxentius. The day before the battle Constantine had a vision of a cross in the sky, with the words "In hoc signo vinces", meaning In the sign, conquer. The night before the battle, he had a dream, instructing him to paint X and P on the shields of his soldiers. With hope, he did as he was told and he won the battle. This helped put the idea in people's mind that Christianity was true and allowed people to be more tolerant.

Constantine the Great

312

Constantine the Great was a Roman emperor in 312 and was the first one to profess Christianity. He had a vision and a dream before the Battle of Milvian, making him believe in Christianity. After the battle, he did further actions to give praise to Christianity. This was a major point in Christian history because an empire that originally discriminated against Christians were becoming more tolerable towards them.

Edict of Milan

313

After the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine felt the need to give credit to Christianity. The Edict of Milan was the outcome of a political agreement between the emperors, Constantine and Licinius, in Milan. This assured that everyone could be a part of whatever religion they please, and all Christians will be given rights and will not be persecuted again.

Emperor Theodosius Comes into Power

379

Emperor Theodosius was the Emperor of the West from 379-392. He then became the sole emperor of both the east and the west from 392-395. He established the Council of Nicaea as the universal norm for Christian orthodoxy. The Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council of the Christian church. He set a new norm for Christianity's practice.