Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Jesus of Nazareth

1 CE

Jesus was born in Bethlehem his mom Mary and his father St. Joseph. St. Joseph took his wife Mary and infant Jesus to Egypt to avoid Herod. The family settled in Nazareth where Jesus grew and spent his childhood. They would call him Nazarene. At the age of 12 he was found in the midst of teachers in the Temple of Jerusalem. All four Gospels record Jesus calling himself The Son of Man. Jesus was crucified, died, and buried, on the third day he rose from the dead went to heaven and sat with God.

Paul of Tarus

62

Paul second most important founder of Christianity. Paul walked ten thousands of miles around the Mediterranean spreading the word about Jesus. Paul was part of a Jewish family they believed that God would one day send Messiah. He was sent away to learn about Jewish laws. When he came back he heard of a prophet named Jesus who claimed to be Messiah. He persecuted people who called themselves Christians. Jesus sent him to get baptized to believe in him,after that started teaching about Jesus.

Roman Rule of Israel

Period: 63 to 313

Judea was ruled by a Roman procurator who managed its political, military, and fiscal affairs. Its governmental structure was reorganized by Gabinius, the Roman governor of Syria from 57 to 55 BCE who divided the country into five synhedroi, or administrative dis­tricts. This arrangement was clearly intended to eliminate the age‑old system of toparchies, dating from the reign of Solomon, and taken over in turn by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians, and then by the Ptole­mies and Seleucids.

Great Fire of Rome

64

The great fire was a fire that blazed for 6 straight days. The fire burnt about 65% of Rome. The Romans thought that Nero was the one who started the fire. After they interrogated him he said that the Christians were the ones that started the fire because part of of the city that didn't burn was the part where most of the Christians lived. Lots of the Christians were prosecuted after the claim that Nero had made.

Perpetua

203

Perpetua was a noblewoman that lived with her husband, son, and slave. At the time North Africa was a vibrant Christian community. Emperor Septimius Severus determined to cripple Christianity he focused his attention on North Africa. Among the first five Christians to be arrested one was perpetua. Perpetua’s father told her to say she is not Christian to be freed she said she wouldn’t, her father tried all he could to convince her but couldn’t. Perpetua was slained in the arena.

Great Persecution

303

At the time Christianity was something new, something they didn't like because it was something the didn't know about. Rome was going through lots of economic things and Diocletian didn't know what to do and there was lot of hate against the Christians so he blamed the Christians for the economic issues. After that lots of people and governors would blame the christian if they didn't have an excuse.

Constantine the Great

312

Constantine was the first emperor to profess Christianity. And be Christian. Constantine made an entire empire evolution into a sate that believed in Christianity. Not only did he make a state Christian he made other states also evolution into Christianity since they saw a powerful empire turn into a Christian state. Constantine and Licinius met together to talk about political arrangements one of the products was the Edict of Milan.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

Constantine invaded Italy, won battles at Turin and Verona and marched on Rome. Maxentius came out to fight and was destroyed at the Milvian Bridge, which carried the Via Flaminia over the Tiber into the city. The battle was one of a succession of victories that in AD 324 made Constantine master of the entire Roman Empire, but it is most famous for its link with his conversion to Christianity, which would prove to be one of the most important events in world history.

Edict of Milan

313

Constantine met Licinius at Mediolanum (modern day Milan) to confirm a number of political and dynastic arrangements. One of the the products of this meeting was the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan was the toleration towards Christian, and any personal item that was confiscated had to be returned. The Edict let the Christians believe in what they wanted to.

Emperor Theodosius

Period: 379 to 395

He used his power to orthodox Christianity. He actually ended up placing his power under that of the Church, settings a standard for more than a millennium. Theodosius was very ill and accepted to be baptized, he proclaimed himself a Christian of the Nicene Creed, and he called a council at Constantinople to put an end to the Arian heresywhich had divided the empire for over half a century. One hundred and fifty bishops gathered and revised the Nicene Creed of AD 325 into the creed we know today