Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Paul of Tarsus

5

As a young boy Saint Paul, also know as Saul, spent his days practicing the Jewish religion. As a grown man he was sent off to Jerusalem to study Jewish law, and once he returned word started to spread about Jesus and him claiming that he was a Messiah. It took time but eventually Saul started to believe in Jesus and on his way to Damascus he saw a bright light who was Jesus. Three days later he was baptized and started teaching others and spreading the word about Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth

33

Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish preacher and was also known to be a religious leader. He was a "Galilean" jew and got Baptized by John the baptist. As Jesus furthered his Jewish practice, he started to gain a following and was eventually arrested and tried by Jewish authorities. He was then later turned to the Roman government and was crucified on the order of Pontius Pilate. After Jesus died, his following believed he rose from the dead and thus formed the idea of the early church.

The Great Persecution

64

The great prosecution started when Christianity fist formed and was a result of lack of trust between Roman beliefs and christian beliefs. Romans believed that, because Christians refused to practice Romans belief in many gods, they could not be trusted. This led to various punishments and executions of the Christian population.

Perpetua

203

Perpetua was a Christian martyr. She wrote a journal that is now one of the oldest most notable christian texts. In her journal she wrote about her trial and imprisonment that had to be continued by someone else after her presumed "death in the arena". She was arrested along with four others where arrested for following the church.Though her document has changed overtime, it is one of the rare surviving artifacts that was written by a women in a time where they had little rights.

Constantine the Great

312

Constantine the Great came to power in Rome after a series of wars that destroyed the tetrarchy that Diocletian established. After winning the wars, Constantine claimed that he was helped by the intervention of Christ. This led to his overall rise to power and the influence he had on changing the public's perspective of Christianity.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

The Battle of the Milvian Bridge was between Constantine and Maxentius which resulted in a win for Constantine. Some say that The Battle of the Milvian Bridge marked the beginning of Constantine's switch to Christianity. It is thought that Constantine and his men had a vision from the christian god on there way to battle. Constantine believes that this vision caused him to win the battle and thus started the process of Constantine converting to Christianity.

The Great Fire of Rome

313

The great fire of Rome started after the merchant shops around Circus Maximus caught on fire. The fire lasted six days before it was brought finally brought under control. Shortly after the first fire was put out and the true damage could be accounted for, another fire started that lasted another three days. By the end of the second fire, more than 2/3 of Rome was destroyed. Emperor Nero soon blamed the christian community for the fire deeming them dangerous and untrustworthy.

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict of Milan was signed by Constantine and Licinius that proclaimed there be more tolerance for Christians in Rome. This act stopped the persecution of Christians and allowed them to practice freely in Rome. It was written after Constantine converted to Christianity and began influencing others that Christianity should be more positively practiced. The two emperors signed the act in Milan which is why it is called the Edict of Milan.

Emperor Theodosius

395

Theodosius was the last emperor to rule both the east and west side of Rome. Theodosius made Christianity the prominent Church in Rome but created some unfair and harsh laws against others in the community. He placed his power under the churches and proclaimed himself a Christian to the Nicene of Creed but was later killed due to acts of high treason.

Roman Rule of Israel (begins)

476

Just before the rise of the christian century, Roman and Jewish cultures started to merge which lead to Rome taking control of the area.When Rome took over Israel, Christianity spread throughout the empire. Israel was under rule of Herod the great and Romans only showed slight tolerance toward Jews who formed in Jerusalem. Pontus plate who was known for crucifying Jesus of Nazareth was elected to be governor.