Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Roman Rule of Israel

63 BCE

The Roman Empire, more specifically, Pompey, conquered Jerusalem in 63 BCE during his eastern campaign. The Roman rule of Israel ended in 313 CE. Herod was the first Roman ruler over Israel. The Roman governor, Pilate, was the man who sentenced Christ to crucifixion. Before the Romans in 721 BCE, the Assyrians ruled over Israel. Israel has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, and captured 44 times.

Jesus of Nazareth

1 CE

Jesus Christ was born in the year 1 AD. He was the first to introduce and preach of the gospel and teachings of Christianity. He taught his apostles, of whom included Saints Paul and Peter, who later went on to continue to preach Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. He was crucified in the year 33 AD, our modern year designation is based on the year of Jesus Christ's birth.

Great Fire of Rome

64

It is thought that Nero ordered this fire to be started and used the Christians, who he greatly disliked, as scapegoats for the fire. He was known to persecute Christians in large numbers. The fire started in the great stadium, the Circus Maximus, one of the seven great structures of Rome. The fire burned for 6 six days, it ended on July 23 of the same year. During the fire, 10 of Rome's 14 districts were burned down.

Paul of Tarsus

64

Paul of Tarsus, or Saint Paul, was one of Christ's Apostles and continued to preach Christianity throughout the Roman Empire after Jesus' crucifixion. He was commonly recognized as the leader of the church during his ministry. His original name was Saul of Tarsus. He was also a Pharisee before his conversion to Christianity. He was decapitated, most likely in Rome.

Perpetua

203

Perpetua was a Christian martyr and refused to worship the Roman gods, because of this, she was sentenced to death. She was born in 181 AD. She was martyred on the 7th of March in 203 AD. Her martyrdom served as an example of faith to many Christians or those who were considering converting. Her famous death led to many joining the religion and beginning its practices.

Great Persecution of 303 AD

303

This was the last and most known persecution of Christians within the Roman Empire. It ended around the year 312/313. Diocletian, the Roman Emperor at the time, took away the rights of Christians and thousands of them were killed, some were killed in the Colosseum by wild beasts. They were also forced to practice traditional Roman religious practices, such as sacrifices to the gods.

Constantine the Great

306

He ruled over the Roman Empire between 306 and 337 AD. He was born in 272 AD and died in 337 AD. He was a supporter of Christianity and eventually became a Christian. He met with Licinius in Milan where the Edict of Milan was created. It allowed Christians could believe and worship the way that they desired. He also built a city in the East Roman Empire called Constantinople, a city dedicated to the Christian God.

Battle of Milvian Bridge

312

Before coming to power, Constantine had to defeat a rival, Maxentius. The night before the battle he had a vision, it included a Cross in the sky and a motto which translated to, "In this sign, prevail". He then received another dream in which he was commanded to inscribe a cross and the motto on his soldier's shields. He ended up defeating Maxentius against a larger force and needed no more persuasion about the truth of Christianity.

Edict of Milan

313

Roman Emperors, Constantine and Licinius, created this letter which stopped the persecution of Christians and to treat them as equals and to allow them the right to worship as they pleased. It was signed in Milan, Italy. This edict was the precedent for the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Constantinople

324

This city was built by Constantine for the Christian God. It included many churches and buildings to honor the Christian God. It is now known as Istanbul, Turkey. Constantinople was previously known as Byzantium before Constantine renamed it and it became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Emperor Theodosius

379

He was a Roman Emperor from 379 to 395 AD. He was the last emperor to rule over both halves of the Roman Empire. He is known for defeating the Goths and other invaders and uniting the Empire. In 380 AD, he issued the Edict of Thessalonica, which made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.