Ancient Rome: The Rise of Christianity

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Ancient Rome The Rise of Christianity

• World History

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Entering a Time of Peace

• Under Julius Caesar, Rome became an empire.
• Octavian Augustus was the first emperor of Rome.
• Rome became too powerful to be challenged and
  entered a time of peace in the empire, known as
  the Pax Romana or Roman Peace.
• Allowed ideas to spread across the world.

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How Powerful Was Rome?

• 3 million square miles
• 80 million people
• 1 million residents in city of Rome.

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The Rise of a New Religion

• In 63 BC, Rome took over Judea, the home of the
  Jewish religion.
• Judea was controlled by King Herod, a Jewish
  governor for Rome.
• After Herods death, fighting broke out among his
  three sons.
• Rome sent troops to create peace in Judea.

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The Birth of Christianity

• Judaism was tolerated by the Romans at first.
• First Monotheistic Religion Only one supreme
  god.
• Jesus of Nazareth was born under the rule of
  Octavian (Caesar Augustus) Grew up preaching the
  idea of one true god
• Spread a message of peace, love, forgiveness.
• Many Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah or
  Savior, from the Romans.
• Jesus was called Christ which means savior or
  Messiah in Greek.

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How do We Know About Jesus?

• Followers of Jesus wrote about the teachings and
  experiences that occurred during his life.
• These writings were called Gospels, meaning good
  news
• Can be found in the New Testament of the
  Christian Biblewritten 30-70 years after Jesus
  lived

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Events of Jesuss Life

• From Nazareth, born in Bethlehem The City of
  David
• Grew up in Nazareth, raised Jewish
• At 30, was baptized by John the Baptist in the
  Jordan River John the Baptists identified Jesus
  as the Messiah
• After 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus returned
  to Galilee and began to preach, heal, and perform
  miracles
• Had followers called disciples

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Key Teachings of Jesus

• Love God with all your heart
• Love your neighbor as yourself
• Taught Peace and Love as key virtues
• Jesus spoke in Parables

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The Teachings of Christianity

• Why did Christianity appeal to people?
• Embraced All people
• Promised life after death for
• ALL people.
• Appealed to poorer people
• who were not wealthy like Romans.
• Because of the Pax Romana, these ideas of
  Christianity were able to spread quickly through
  the empire.

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The Crucifixion of Jesus

• The popularity of Jesus with the poor angered the
  Romans and the Jews.
• Jesus was called the Son of God and a King
• Jews feared Jesuss preaching would anger the
  Romans (Pages 354 355)
• Jewish leaders turned Jesus over to the Roman
  governor of Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate, to be
  Crucified.
• Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to
  God what belongs to God.

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Golgotha - Place of the Skull Calvary Latin
Word
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After the Apostles

• Followers of Jesus became known as Christians.
• Much of what is known about Jesus comes from the
  writings of his Apostles.
• Apostle means One who travels.
• Apostles traveled, spread Christian teachings,
• and wrote the Gospels of the Bible.
• Peter and Paul were two very influential
  Apostles. (356-359)

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The 12 Apostles
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Roman Persecution of Jews and Christians

• Why did the Romans hate Christianity/Judaism?
• Monotheism vs. Polytheism
• Christians/Jews didnt recognize the emperors as
  Gods.
• Blamed for any problems in Roman society.
• Emperors such as Nero crucified and tortured
  Christians and Jews as traitors.
• Many Jews fled their homeland to escape- Known as
  the Jewish Diaspora- or spreading out
• Christians and Jews became Martyrs Dying for
  their beliefs.

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The Jews Strike Back

• 66 AD- Jews rebel against the Romans.
• 70 AD- Romans stormed Jerusalem and destroy their
  temple, leaving only the Western Wall
• 73 AD- Jews and Romans fight at the Battle of
  Masada. Many Jews died in this battle, most of
  suicide.
• Today- The Western Wall is Jerusalems holiest
  shrine.

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The Victory Arch of Emperor Titus over the Jews
in Jerusalem
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Jerusalems Western Wall
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The Martyrdom of Peter

• Peter the Apostle traveled to Rome and was
  crucified upside down by Nero.
• Believed to be the first Bishop or Pope of the
  Christian Church.
• Today, all Popes are believed to be descendants
  of St. Peter.
• We now call this the Catholic church which
  means Universal.

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St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City
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The Vatican
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The Tomb of Saint Peter
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Christianity Under Constantine

• In 312 AD, Constantine became Emperor of Rome.
• During Battle, he saw an image of a cross and
  won.
• 313 AD- Constantine issues the Edict of Milan
  making Christianity a legal religion in Rome.
• To strengthen the religion he called the Council
  of Nicaea to establish the core beliefs of
  Christianity, leading to the Nicene Creed.

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Finally Official

• In 380 AD, Emperor Theodosius declared
  Christianity the Offical Religion of the Roman
  Empire.