Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel (begins)

67 BCE

In 37 BCE, Herod, was appointed King of by the Romans. Superior Roman forces led by Titus were finally victorious, bringing Jerusalem to the ground (70 CE) and defeating the last Jewish outpost at Masada (73 CE). Protected by Rome and Rome allowed them to continue their religion, everything was fine until rebellion in Judaea led to a major change in the practice of their religion.

Paul of Tarsus

4 BCE

Paul the Apostle was one of the leaders of the first generation of Christians, often considered to be the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity. In his own day, although he was a major figure within the very small Christian movement, he also had many enemies. He had enormous influence on subsequent Christianity and secure his place as one of the greatest religious leaders of all time.

Jesus of Nazareth

1 CE

Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ, was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity. He was regarded by most Christian branches as God himself. The life of Jesus began in north and central Palestine, a region between the Dead Sea and the Jordan River in the east and the Eastern Mediterranean in the west. This region was under Roman control since the 1st century BCE. Jesus is still savored today in Christian churches.

Great Fire Rome

64

Beginning in July, 64 AD a big fire broke out in the merchant shops in the city of Romes chariot. The fire burned for many days and it was finally controlled after 6 days of burning. 10 of the 14 Rome districts were burned. Historians blamed Romes Emperor, Nero. Some historians say that Nero was playing the fiddle while the city was up in flames. Nero then blamed the Christians for this crisis happening and that had an influence on the persecution of Christianity.

Perpetua

181

Christian martyr who wrote the Passion of saints. She was a christian noblewoman at the start of the third century, lived with her husband, her son, and her slave. It is no surprise, then, that when Emperor Septimius Severus determined to cripple Christianity, he focused his attention on North Africa. Among the first to be arrested were five new Christians taking classes to prepare for baptism, one of them was Perpetua.

Great Persecution of 303

303

Great Persecution was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. The Great Persecution, from A.D. 303 to 311, was a time of sudden transition and massive change in the history of Christianity. Christians were blamed for a lot of things in this period and many Christians were killed in Rome in this period. Constantine did not tolerate these actions as emperor and came into Rome in 312 and that is when this persecution ended.

Constantine the Great

306

Constantine the Great, also known as Constantine I, was a Roman Emperor who ruled between 306 and 337 AD. He was the first Christian Emperor and he was one who saw the rise of Christianity. During a period of Civil War, Constantine fought and he was successful and entered Rome. He soon became Emperor of Rome. He soon used his power to address the status of Christians, issuing the Edict of Milan in 313. This proclamation legalized Christianity and allowed it through out Rome.

Battle of the Milvian Bridge

312

The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on 28 October 312. The battle fought at Milvian Bridge outside Rome was a crucial moment in a civil war that ended with Constantine I as the ruler of the Roman Empire and Christianity was established as the empire’s official religion. Constantine’s victory may have been detailed as a dream of victory.

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict of Milan was the February AD 313 agreement to treat Christians evenly within the Roman Empire. The two men were the Roman emperors Constantine ruling the West and Licinius the East. And after the failure of the Great Persecution, the Christian churchs had begun to recover its stability. Constantine and Licinius turned their minds to matters affecting the general welfare of the Empire. And did what was best for Rome itself

Emperor Theodosius

379

Theodosius I, also known as Theodosius the Great, was a Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. He was the last Roman emperor to rule over both eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire. Theodosius's first task was to secure his realm against the barbarians. When he was old enough, Theodosius took part in the various military campaigns of his father, fighting against the Picts , the Alemanni, and the Sarmatians.