Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

4

4 BC - 30 BC
Jesus of Nazareth was also known as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Galilee, Jesus, and thought to be the incarnation of God. Nazareth is in his name because that is the cradle of Christianity, and where Jesus spent his younger years. He was the leader of Christianity.

Great Fire of Rome

48

Jul 18, 64 – Jul 23, 64
A fire broke out at Circus Maximus and it lasted for 6 days. This was unusually for Rome. Fires happened often but nothing has ever lasted this long. Nero, who is the emperor at the time, was blamed He wanted to rebuild the empire into this own. His way of doing this was a fire.

Paul of Tarsus

64

64 died
Paul of Tarsus, also known St. Paul was one of the most influential people in Christianity after Jesus. He wrote letters that impacted the view on God the Father and Jesus. Paul traveled all around the Mediterranean teaching about the word of Jesus. He is one of the biggest reasons for the spread of Christianity

Roman Rule of Israel

66

66 AD
The first Jewish vs. Roman war. The Romans won and destroyed many of the temples in Jerusalem. They maintained control of Isreal for about 400 years.

Perpetua

182

182 - 203
Perpetua was a Christian martyr who wrote The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. With her being a martyr, she was regarded as a saint. She helped grow the number in the church in the early days. In 203, Perpetua was persecuted for her religious convictions.

Great Persecution of 303

303

The great persecution was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantin, who were emperors at the time, issued a series of edicts rescinding Christians' legal rights. The edicts the emperors made demanded that Christians had to follow what the laws were at the time. During Diocletian's reign, he persecuted anywhere between 3,000−3,500 people.

Constantine the Great

306

306 - 337
The first Christian Emperor of Rome. While he was in reign, he used his power to work on the matters of Christianity and where it stood in Rome. Constantine made the Edict of Milan, this legalized Christianity. Due to this, Constantine's reputation grew during the lifetime.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

October 28, 312
This battle was between Constantine I and Maxentius. The battle of Milvian happened during a civil war to establish the Emporer and where Christianity stood in Rome. The significance of this battle was Constantine winning and ending the Tetrarchy. If Constantine did not win this battle, then who knows if Christianity would have ever been legalized in Rome

Edict of Milan

313

313 AD
A letter proclaiming tolerance for Christianity in the Roman Empire. This stoped the persecuting of Christians. The Edict of Milan was signed by the Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius. This helped the growth of Christianity because people weren’t scared to look into what this religion was about.The existing Christians could be free to worship wherever and whenever.

Emperor Theodosius

379

379 to 395
The last Roman Emperor before the empire split into the east and west. He was known for his solution to the gothic and unification problem. Within Christianity, he created the Edict of Thessalonica. This edict made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire.