Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel (begins)

63 BCE

-In a last attempt to restore former glory of the Hasmonean dynasty, Mattathias Antigonus is defeated and killed, making the land a province of the Roman Empire
-A revolt of Shimon Bar Kokhba which allowed for a regain of Jerusalem and Judea but the Roman power was too strong so the outcome was inevitable and Judea was renamed Palaestinia and Jerusalem, Aelia Capitolina
-The Roman rule of Israel ended in 313 AD

Jesus of Nazareth

4 BCE

-considered one of God's most important prophets and the Messiah
-Muslims believe that Jesus was a bringer of scripture and born of a virgin but not the son of God and was physically raised into heaven, Judaism believes that Jesus was not the awaited Messiah arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies and was not resurrected nor divine
-Died in 30/33 AD (Aged 33-36)

Paul of Tarsus

5

-Paul was dedicated to persecuting the early disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem
-Paul was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him in a 'great light'
-Paul was blinded by this light for three days but once his vision was restored he preached that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and the son of God
-From the 5th to the 16th centuries it was unquestioned that Paul was the author of Hebrews but today it is universally rejected by scholars
-Died 64 or 67 AD

The Great Fire of Rome

64

-Lasted 6 days
-July 18 64 CE-July 23 64 CE
-People blame emperor Nero and others credit him with the organization, but Nero blamed the Christians on starting the fire, initiating the first persecution of Christians
-According to Tacius, Nero was away from Rome when the fire started and he came back and took measures to bring in food and open gardens and public buildings to accommodate for the refugees
-Out of 14 districts, 3 were completely destroyed, 7 were scorched ruins, and 4 escaped damage

Perpetua

181

-Not sure when birth was, said to be 22 when she died in 203
-Carthaginian put to death along side others in Roman province of Africa
-Perpetua is sent to prison by her father due to her not recanting her religion against her father's wishes
-Perpetua is pregnant in prison, bribes the officers to move to a better part of the prison where she nurses her baby for the time being
-Perpetua is put to the sword but the swordsman's hand wandered so she put the sword to her neck and willed the kill

Constantine the Great

272

-Ruled Rome from 306-337 AD
-First Roman emperor to convert to Christianity
-Influential role in the Edict of Milan in 313
-The Edict also protected every religion not just Christianity so anyone could practice any religion they choose without persecution
-Constantine was over 40 when declared himself a Christian
-Constantine waited to be baptized until on his deathbed believing it would release him of any previous sins that he carried out while emperor
-Died on May 22, 337 AD

Great Persecution of 303

303

-Emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued series of edicts revoking Christian legal rights and demanding they follow traditional religious practices
-Christians were compelled to sacrifice to the gods or risk imprisonment and execution
-First Edict proclaimed the newly build church be razed the statutes burned and treasured seized
-Second, Third and Fourth Edicts were about Christians going to jail or being executed
-Edict of Milan was the 'official' end of the persecution

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

-Took place between Constantine and Maxentius
-Constantine and his soldiers had a vision sent by God
-Battle marked the beginning of the path of Constantine turning to Christianity
-Constantine won the battle, as Maxentius fell into the river and drowned, leaving him sole ruler of the Roman Empire ending the Tetrarchy
-Constantine was back in Rome by October 29 but when he gets to the city of Adventus, he approaches the temple of Capitoline Jupiter, meaning he was not Christian at that point

Edict of Milan

313

-Declared by Constantine the Great and Licinius
-The Edict of Milan stated that all confiscated churches would be returned, as well as any other provisions for previously persecuted Christians
-Edict of Milan states all religions to be tolerated and freely practiced without persecution
-Although the Edict didn't make Christianity the State chruch of the Roman Empire, it later was declared in 380 AD with the Edict of Thessalonica

Emperor Theodosius

347

-Emperor from 379 AD to 395 AD
-issued decrees that made effectively Christianity official state church of the Roman Empire
-In the 380, Theodosius reiterated Constantine's ban on former Roman Religion
-Between 389-392 Theodosius promulgated Theodosian decrees which removed non-orthodox Christians from office and abolished the last of Roman Religion making holidays into workdays, banning blood sacrifice, closed Roman temples, and confiscated temple indowments
-Theodosius died on January 17, 395