Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel

63 BCE

Superior Roman forces led by Titus were victorious leading Jerusalem to the ground and defeating the last Jewish outpost in Masada. Hundreds to thousands of Jews were killed during the siege and the others were sold into slavery.The total destruction of Jerusalem and the temple were catastrophic to the Jews. Shimon Bar Kokhba revolted and gained back Jerusalem in 132 CE. Even though the temple was destroyed and Jerusalem burned to the ground, the Jews survived the encounter with Rome.

Jesus of Nazareth

4 BCE

Jesus of Nazareth is also known as Jesus. Jesus was a carpenter just like his father, Joseph. Luke states that Jesus as a child was a precociously learned, but there is no evidence for Jesus early childhood. Even after Jesus was executed his disciples believed he was still alive and convinced others he was too, which created a new religion, Christianity.

Paul of Tarsus

10

St. Paul is considered the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity. His surviving letters have had an amazing impact on Christians today. Paul spent much of the beginning of his life as a Nascent Christian. Until the mid point of his life, Paul was a member of the Pharisees, they believed in life after death. He died in 62-64 CE.

Great Fire of Rome

64

A fire broke out among the shops of Circus Maximus. Nero was in his cooler coastal area of Antium. This was no ordinary fire and it raged for six days until it came under control but then raged on for another three days.Once the smoke cleared, 10 of 14 Roman districts were destroyed. Two-thirds of Rome were destroyed. The Great fire ended in July 23, 64 AD.

Perpetua

181

She was a Christian martyr who wrote the Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, it was a journal talking about her trial and imprisonment that was continued by someone else who described her death in the Arena. Her text is one of the rare surviving documents written by a women in the ancient times. She was being killed because of her wanting to stay Christian. Before her scheduled death, she gave her journal to another one of her Christian friends. Perpetua died in 203 AD from decapitation.

Constantine the Great

272

Constantine was the first Christian Roman Emperor. He initiated the evolution of the empire into a Christian state. He made the persecutions of Christians illegal by signing the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan helped make churches, new copies of the bible, etc. Constantine also reformed Romes currency and restructured Romes armed forces. Constantine the great died in 337 AD due to sickness.

Great Persecution of 303 CE

303

The first Edict of Diocletian targeted senior clerics and church property. Romans targeted christian leaders, destroyed christian buildings, and their goal was to burn Scriptural manuscripts to wipe out Christianity all together. When Diocletian stepped down from his throne, his successor Galerius continued the persecutions with an even greater determination. On April 30 in AD 311, Galerius who was very sick, relented his policy against Christians. Due to that the Great Persecution ended in 311.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

The Battle at Milvian made Constantine the master of the Roman empire. The battle is most famous for its link with his conversion to Christianity, which was one of the most important events in history. Constantine and his army saw a cross of light in the sky and Constantine that night had a dream that Jesus told him to use the cross against his enemies.He was so impressed he put a cross on all his soldiers shields and won the Milvian battle and attributed it to the Christian god.It ended in 312.

Edict of Milan

313

The Edict of Milan permanently established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman empire. It granted all people freedom to worship whatever deity, gave christians legal rights and returned the Christians confiscated property. It was the Roman empires finally abandonment of the persecutions.The Edict started the rise of Christianity. The Christian church began to rebuild.

Emperor Theodosius

347

Emperor Theodosius was crowned emperor in 379-395. He was battling the Germans when they finally made an agreement that fro an exchange of land they would give the Romans their soldiers, the emperor raised taxes brutally. After a illness, emperor Theodosius claimed he was christian. He fought a civil war for Christians against Arbogast and Eugenius for Pagan ways of Ancient Rome. During the reign of Theodosius, Nicene Christianity became the state religion. Emperor Theodosius died in 395 AD.