Rise of Christianity

The Beginning of the Roman Rule of Israel

37 BCE

Caesar was the Emperor of Rome during this time and noticed the monotheistic Jews were dedicated to their religion. He arranged a compromise that if the Jews kept peace and paid taxes, they would be allowed to keep their religion. The Jews saw that worshipping their God was a privilege granted by Caesar. This gave Caesar power because now, the Jews were in such a fix that they would risk losing their religion if they lost their agreeement with Rome.

Jesus of Nazareth

1 BCE

Jesus of Nazareth (c. 6/4 BCE - c. 30 CE) was born in north and central Palestine, an area under Roman control. When it comes to the crucifixion, a Roman procurator actually ordered Jesus' execution. From then on (until the Edict of Milan), Romans despised the people who believed in Christ and soon begun to prosecute them. Upon the rise of Christianity, the Romans changed their dating system from AUC (ab urbe condita, “from the founding of the city”) to AD (Anno Domini, “The year of our Lord”).

Paul of Tarsus

6

Saint Paul once wished to put Christians to death, but soon became one of the church's most determined saints. Upon his return from a trip to Jerusalem to study Jewish law, he heard of Jesus Christ, whom people claimed to be the Messiah. He began to persecute Christ's followers, although his persecutions did not lessen the amount of Christians at all. His friends later baptized him, allowing him to gain a different view on Christianity. He began to teach it, persuading others to believe.

The Great Fire of Rome

64

This six-day long fire consumed the already unstable building of Rome and dangered the 2 million inhabitants of Rome. Emperor Nero was blamed for the cause of the fire since he wanted to "recreate" Ancient Rome. Although, he used the Christians as scapegoats for the Great Fire.

Perpetua

203

Perpetua was a martyr to Christianity, killed in the late second century. She and her slave, Felicity, were sentenced to death by the beasts but survived. They were later to be killed by the sword and Perpetua supposedly put the sword to her own neck. People were expected to fear a fate similar to Felicity and Perpetua's but acted quite the opposite. This execution only raised the protests for the persecution of Christians and increased the number of Christians.

Execution of Emperor Philip

250

Emperor Philip the Arab enjoyed Christianity and thought it an intriguing religion. His successor, Decius, was not so fond of them and not so fond that Philip thought this way. Decius ordered Philip to be executed for celebrating in the religion, but the growth of Christianity continued to increase.

The Great Persecution

303

Emperor Diocletian was not fond of Christianity either. The past persecutions had been injuring to the Christian population but were nothing compared to the Great Persecution. Diocletian executed severals of thousands of Christians and drastically decreased their number. Christians were burned alive and fed to animals in front of cheering masses. People hereby feared Christianity because of this horrible event. Almost no one even thought of secretly practicing Christianity.

Constantine the Great

312

In 312 ACE, Constantine had a vision of the cross symbol, "In Hoc Sogno Vinces," (In this sign, you will conquer), and triumphed in the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Constantine met with Milan in 313 ACE and issued the Edict of Milan, which guaranteed freedom of religion to everyone. Constantine won another battle against the enemy, upon believing in Christ, and built a new capital city in the east - Constantinople. This city was dedicated to Christianity.

The Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

The Battle of Milvian Bridge was famous for Emperor Constantine viewing the cross in his visions, "In Hoc Signo Vinces", and believing in Christianity all throughout this battle against Maxentius. At first, Constantine was a monotheist, but his vision altered his beliefs. After a dream, later on, he painted an overlapping "xp" over every soldier's shield (first two letters of Christ's name in Greek). This symbol he painted won him and his soldiers the Battle of Milvian Bridge.

The Edict of Milan

313

Constantine met with Lucinius (the eastern emperor) to discuss his beliefs, and the Edict of Milan was issued. This edict ensured everyone the freedom of religion, and Christianity was accepted in Rome. Eventually, Lucinius changed his mind on the edict, upon conflicting with Constantine later on. Although, Lucinius was defeated by Constantine in another war, and the edict was still in action. This second victory again led Constantine to believe that Jesus Christ was still helping him.

Emperor Theodosius

379

Theodosius was crowned the Emperor in the east during 379 ACE and accepted Christian baptism while undergoing a serious illness early in his reign. In 380, he announced himself a Christian of the Nicene Creed and ended Arian heresy at a council in Constantinople. Theodosius was also the first ever ruler to submit to the church (387 ACE), after being punished by his advisor for defending a popular homosexual charioteer. Unfortunately, he soon persecuted heretics and pagans, to undo his legacy.