Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel (begins)

63 BCE

Jerusalem was conquered in 63 BC by the Roman Empire. Under Julius Caesar, Judaism was officially recognized as the legal religion. Herod the Great was made the King of the Jews, by the Roman Senate. There was a lot of Tension between the Jews and the Romans, which led to several wars between them.

Jesus of Nazareth

6 BCE

Jesus was born around 6 BC in Bethlehem. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, who called him the Son of God. Jesus traveled to small villages, where many of the people became his disciples. Jesus explained how the prophecies were being fulfilled and that the Kingdom of God was near. During the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, which signifies the covenant between God and Humans. Jesus was killed for claiming to be the son of God and the king of the Jews, and was crucified.

Paul of Tarsus

4 BCE

Paul of Tarsus was born around 4 BC. He became a missionary and spread the message of Christianity. He was an apostle who taught the gospel of Christ to the 1st-century world. Paul of Tarsus wrote a large part of the New Testament. Paul of Tarsus was imprisoned and eventually killed in around 64 or 67 AD, under the Roman emperor Nero.

Great Fire of Rome

64

Over the course of 6 days, 65% of the Roman Empire was burned to the ground. Many believed that the emperor, Nero, had started the fire. Nero, not wanting to have the blame put on him, used the Christians as a scapegoat for the fire.

Perpetua

182

Perpetua was a Christian noblewoman, who lived at the turn of the third century. The emperor wanted to cripple Christianity and focused his attention on North Africa. Among the first to be arrested were five new Christians preparing for baptism, one was Perpetua. Her father came to her aid and told her to deny that she was Christian, but she didn't. Perpetua was sent to the arena floor, where she and other Christians were killed and slain with swords.

The Great Persecution

303

In order to reunite the empire after a period of crisis and economic decline, the emperor, Diocletian, decided to continue to persecute Christians to try and reunite the empire by having them have the same beliefs in the same gods. This time of persecution was called the The Great Persecution, and several thousands of Christians were killed, including manny Christian leaders.

Constantine the Great

306

Constantine came to power at the beginning of the fourth century. In 313, Constantine met with Licinius and issued the Edict of Milan. This would remove all restrictions on Christianity worship. Constantine and Licinius fought over control of the empire, ending with Constantine winning. Constantine believed that the Christian God was on his side, so he legalized Christianity across the empire. He built a new capital, Constantinople, which was filled with churches.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

On October 27, the night before the battle, Constantine had a dream, where he saw the sun overlain by a cross. Beneath the cross was the inscription, hoc signo vinces, which translates to, "In this sign, you will conquer." Constantine ordered his men to paint crosses onto their shields. This battle was a crucial moment in the civil war. Constantine won this battle against Maxentius, and this battle along with others would lead to Constantine becoming the ruler of the Roman Empire

Edict of Milan

313

Constantine met with Licinius, the eastern emperor, at Milan, and they issued the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan made Christianity legal, removed restrictions of Christian worship, and returned all property taken away from the Church during The Great Persecution.

Emperor Theodosius

379

Theodosius helped change the course of Christian history. He used his power to enforce Christianity in the empire and made it the state religion. He did this out of political and religious motives. He eventually placed his power under the Church