Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

1 CE

1. Was the son of the virgin Mary.
2. His first miracle was water to wine.
3. He helped many people.
4. He died and came back.
5. He left to heaven years after being brought back.

Paul of Tarsus

5

1. Born 5 AD died 64 or 67 AD.
2. Paul of Tarsus was known as Saint Paul.
3. Started the New Testament.
4. He was the Apostle to the Gentiles.
5. Paul never knew Jesus

Great Fire of Rome

46

1. Over 80% of homes were destroyed but there were only 6 confirmed deaths.
2. It is suspected that there were groups of soldiers that stopped people from putting out the fire.
3. Nero is suspected that Nero started the fire.
4. Nero blamed the Christians for the fire.
5. After Nero blamed the Christians for the fire Christians started being persecuted.

Roman Rule of Israel (begins)

70

1. Herod born in 37 BC.
2. Herod died in 4 BC leading to a Jewish revolt.
3. The Jewish revolted in 66 CE leading to the war.
4. The last Jewish outpost at Masada was defeated in 73 CE.
5. Once the Jewish revolt was over the city of Israel was under direct Roman rule.

Perpetua

182

1. Born 182 and died 207.
2. Wrote The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.
3. She was imprisoned for writing it.
4. Nobody knows how long she was a Christian.
5. Perpetua was a Christian noblewoman.

Constantine the Great

280

1. He became Emperor after his fathers death on July 25, 306.
2. He wanted to be baptized in the Jordan River just like Jesus.
3. The night before the battle of Milvian Bridge he saw a sign form God that he should fight under the Christian god to win, so he did and he won.
4. He died planing a conquest due to illness in 337 at the age of 57 he had ruled for 31 years (born 280).
5. Nobody is sure if he was a Christian or not.

Great Persecution of 303 AD

303

1. Started on February 24, 303 and ended 311-313 after 8-10 years.
2. The emperor was Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus also known as Diocletian.
3. The Christians's holy relics, buildings, and buildings were to be destroyed at first.
4. Next Christians were burned on a cross, put in gladiator matches against lions, and crucified.
5. After Gaius got a very bad disease he ended the persecution in an attempt to please the Christian god.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

1. The night before the battle Constantine saw a sign from God that he should fight under the Christian god to win, so he did and he won.
2. In English the sign Constantine saw said "By this symbol you will conquer."
3. The crest on the shields of Roman solders was the first 2 letters of Christ in Roman.
4. Soon after the battle Constantine made all religions legal.
5. Not many historians believe that Constantine saw that sign from God.

Edict of Milan

313

1. It was a letter about religious freedom.
2. It came out of a 2 man summit.
3. The men in the summit were Constantine of the West and Licinius of the East.
4. Had to be full religious freedom with no excuses.
5. It was mand in the Italian city of Milan.

Emperor Theodosius

347

1. Born in 347 and died in 395.
2. He was a talented military commander because he was taught by his dad who was an extremely talented military commander.
3. Crowned emperor of the East in 379.
4. He raised taxes heavily to make the military stronger.
5. He was baptized early in his career and in 380 he said that he was a Christian of the Nicene Creed.