Religion
- Christianity
- Religon has always played a large role in Roman Society
Jesus of Nazareth
- Viewed as the <essiah or savior by Christians
- Born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea
- Babtized by John the Babtist
- He took up carpentry
- At age 36 he took up ministry
- For the next 3 years he preahced, taught, did good work, and repotedly performed miracles
- Historical records of the time mentioned very little about Jesus
- Main source of information about his main teachings are the gospels
- These gospels were written by his disciples or pupils, called apostles
- Jesus was growing in popularity and this concerned Roman and Jewish leaders
- A governor of ROme named Pontius Pilate accused Jesus of defying the authority of Rome
- He then was crucified on a wooden cross
Spreading of Christianity
- After his death, the followers of Jesus continued to spread his ideas
- Despite the large amount of political and religious opposition, the new religion of Christianity began to spread
Paul
- He really influenced the spreading of christianity
- Was once a jew, and was once against christianity
- He was able to do many of his speeches and travel throughout the roman empire becuase it was during Pax Romana
- Christians
- Belief that Jesus is the Messiah
- Acceptance of Gentiles and Jews alike
- Jewish
- Belief the Jews are the chosen people
- Adherence to jewish law
- Both
- Believe in god
- Belief in the ten commandments
- Both
- Christians
- Pope
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Persecution of Christians
- The main reason was that they refused to worship Roman gods
- As Pax Romana began to crumble, persecution of the christians increased
- Thousands were crucidied, burned or killed by wild animals in the cirxus arenas
- Other christians and even some non christians regarded persecuted Christians as martyrs
- Martyrs were eople willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake
Popularity
- Became a world religion for multiple reasons:
- Embraced all people
- Gave hope to the powerless
- Appealed to those who were reppelled by the extravagances of imperial Rome
- Offered personal relationships with a loving god
- Promised eternal life after death
Constantine accepting Christianity
- Consstantine was fighting over the leadership of Rome
- He then prayed to the christian God ans saw a cross
- He orderd for the cross to be painted on the sheilds
- He was successful in battle so began to accept christanity
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