Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

32

1.) He was a Jewish preacher and religious leader
2.) He is the central figure of Christianity
3.) Most believe he is the incarnation of the God of the Sun
4.) He is believed to be the awaited Messiah (the Christ) in the Old Testament
5.) Through his death and resurrection, humans can be reconciled to God and offered salvation and eternal life

Great Fire of Rome

64

1.) The fire broke out among the shops lining the Circus Maximus
2.) Nero, at the time, was in Antium while the fire was orchestrated, performing on a stage
3.) The flames burned for six days. By the end of the fire, 2/3 of Rome had been destroyed
4.) Nero was blamed for the fire, but Nero himself blamed the Christians. They were seized and tortured into confessing, then torn to pieces, crucified, or burned alive
5.) Many believe that Nero began the fire because of the population's unloyalty

Roman Rule of Israel

64

1.) During the Testament era, the Roman Empire ruled most of the known world
2.) The general Pompey established the Syrian empire
3.) Pompey continued on to conquer Jerusalem
4.) Jews were given certain rights that made life easier
5.) Many in Israel came to see their right to worship God as a privelage

Paul of Tarsus

64

1.) Traveled tens of thousands of miles spreading the word of Jesus
2.) Important figure in Christianity
3.) Called himself an apostle
4.) He claimed to have seen the resurrected Jesus
5.) He died by decapitation on orders of Nero, became a martyr

Perpetua

203

1.) Died in an arena, became a martyr
2.) Her and four other companions were arrested
3.) She was a mother
4.) Began a diary and let another Christian continue it when she died
5.) She was attacked by a wild bull, then put to the sword

Great Persecution

303

1.) The third century, Rome began to codify anti-Christian laws, and persecution was legal
2.) Changed in the fourth century when Diocletian issued the Great Persecution
3.) A series of laws to purge Christians and punish them
4.) Lots of martyrs were known
5.) Lasted for nearly a decade. Thousands of citizens were killed and many Christian leaders

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

1.) The battle was fought against Maxentius, a Roman emperor
2.) The day before, Constantine received the 'in this sign conquer' vision
3.) That night, he had the dream about the cross
4.) The victory was devoted to the Christian God
5.) This victory made Constantine master of the Roman emperor

Edict of Milan

313

1.) Established by Constantine
2.) Made Christianity legal
3.) Removed restrictions on Christian practice
4.) Returned all confiscated property
5.) Abandoned all persecutions of Christians

Constantine the Great

315

1.) Constantine the Great, a Roman emperor, supported and practiced Christianity
2.) He built a capital city, Constantinople, dedicated to God
3.) He sponsored the construction of churches, promoted Christian officials, & gave Christians special rights
4.) In a dream, he claimed God appeared to him bearing a cross and the words: "By this symbol you will conquer."
5.) Ordered a Christian symbol to be painted on shields

Emperor Theodosius

380

1.) He issued the Edict of Thessalonica
2.) This Edict made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire
3.) However, it was mainly restrained to Catholic Christianity
4.) His parents were both Christians themsleves
5.) He outlawed all Pagan practices