The Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire The Christian Church was persecuted for hundreds of years in the days of the Roman Empire. Christianity is a fairly widespread religion in the world today, so you might wonder what happened to make so many people hate it back then. When Christianity first began, it started off small, and no one thought anything much of it. But it’s message quickly grew on people and gained a lot of followers and admiration. The Romans, thinking it was just a passing phase, didn’t really react and just let it be. However, when the influx of Christian converts kept on going even after the death of Jesus, that’s when Christianity got the attention of the Emperors. And it wasn’t a good type of attention. That’s when the cruelty and the insults began. It didn’t start out too bad, but over time it turned into false accusations which led to the gruesome deaths of many people. Government sanctioned persecutions that were widespread did not start until later on, but even the everyday hatred of the Roman people could have brought anyone down. After those first large persecutions began, there was no going back, and it was only just the beginning of it all. Most people you ask can generally agree that the Christians were treated unjustly. Unlike the all of the other religions that Rome was fairly tolerant of, the Christians were singled out and blamed for terrible acts that they didn’t even commit. All because of misunderstandings and some trickery, the Romans blinded by anger, gladly took punitive action upon the Christians. If it weren’t for the great perseverance of the Christians, Christianity might not be here today. The Christians were loathed mostly because people didn’t understand who they were or wh... ... middle of paper ... ... Christianity is now the world’s largest religion with over 2 billion followers. Progress was slow, but you could definitely say that in this fight against the Romans, the Church won. Though not easy, after facing horrendous trials and years of bloody persecution, the Christians proved to everyone how strong they truly were. The Roman persecutions were only a minor setback, because it allowed the Christians to prove that they were there to stay. In fact, you could almost say that the persecutions acted as an inspiration to motivate the Christians to protect their faith. In the end, the persecutions helped Christianity to expand to its fullest potential, while allowing the Christians to become admired and respected for their perpetual fighting spirit. They had to survive the bitterly harsh trials, but when it was all done and over, they came out of it better than ever.
The persecutions did help the spread of Christianity because they showed that people were willing to die for what they believe in. “I am corresponding with all the churches and bidding them all realize that I am voluntarily dying for God”(Ignatius, paragraph 5). This shows that Christianity is a way to unite ourselves with God and to be freed from all evils. Another reason it helped the spread of Christianity is that there were public executions which increased the number of people knowing about it. This also shows that the Romans don't really care for the individual freedom of their
The city of Rome was and is one of the most well-known cities of the world. It has always lured in huge visitors for its attraction for the elaborate Pagan temples or for the eloquent Cathedrals of the Rome. Now the city is known for being the center of the catholic faith. The city is interesting in a way that, it has not always been a Catholic hotspot. The city was originally under the control of the Romans who worshiped Pagan Gods. The Romans believed that Rome was a holy city chosen by their Gods (Cowling). The switch from being a Pagan centered place to a Christian centered place was not as easy transition for the city. It took time and perseverance. As the Christian influence started to build up, the face of the Roman city started to change; the structure of the city was changed, the major public places changed, and along with that major monuments in the city changed. The city changed so much that now if you don’t look closely enough, you might think the city was always under the Christian influence.
The rise of Christianity in Rome did not come easily. It came with much destruction and death. The spark of Christianity in Rome came from an appearance of Martyrs in Rome. Martyrs were people that were executed for going against the common beliefs of pagan (polytheistic) ways. (Tignor, 2011, p. 286) Because of these awful executions, Christianity is said to be based off of “the blood of martyrs.” One of their main ways of spreading Christianity was through the sharing of their writings and by 300 CE there was an exceptional amount of book production throughout Rome. (Tignor, 2011, p. 289) “Christianity operated as one among many minority religions in the Roman Empire, and on several occasions experienced widespread persecution, especially under the emperors Nero (r. 54–68), Decius (r. 249–251), and Diocletian (r. 284–305). However, the situation changed radically under the emperor Constantine (r. 306–337), who in 313 issued the Edict of Milan that made Christianity a legitimate religion in the empire.” (Melton, 2010, p. 634)
Between Pliny’s letter and Livy’s account it’s pretty easy to get the impression that Romans were fairly tolerant of many different religions up until they got in the way. The Christians were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and doing the wrong things. The Bacchanalians were converting elites with a religion that the Romans considered unsavory to say the least. Both the Christians and the Bacchanalians suffered horrendously at the hands of the Roman authorities, and it goes to show that they were only going to tolerate so much from either group before going out on a witch hunt for them.
The spread of Christianity overtime replaced the old warrior religion changing the way of life, and at the giving it new meaning. With the coming of Christianity a hope for poets also came about. As the conversion of Ireland to Christianity took place a new era known as Ireland's Golden Age began to take over. Christian munks worked hard preserving literature of the ancient world and works of popular culture. Due to the rapid growth of Christianity the Anglo-Saxon's were given a common faith, a common system of morality and right conduct, linking England with Europe.
The single most important aspect of European empires, beginning just prior to the fall of Rome, is the spread of Christianity to all areas of the continent in as little as a few hundred years. Many theologians state that Christianities spread is the indirect influence of God and the adoration of people to one true faith. Though it is true that Christianity has brought about people that even atheists could call saints, it is unquestionable that Christianity was so monumental because it united larger groups of people and its spread is contributed to adherence to local customs and its lack of new ideas in comparison to other religions of the day.
Nero was the fifth and final Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. His full name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but when he was adopted by his great uncle Claudius and became his heir to be the next Roman Emperor hi name changed to Nero Claudius Ceasar Augustus Germanicus. He succeeded to the throne on 13 October, 54, after Claudius’s death. “During his rule from 54 to 68 Nero focused much of his attention on diplomacy, trade, and increasing cultural-capital of the empire.” His rule as Emperor was often associated with tyranny and extravagance. He was obsessed with retaining his title as Emperor, and would not hesitate to execute or ruthlessly kill anyone who he saw as a threat or opposition against him. He stamped out all conspiracies against him. He even killed his own mother.
The Roman Empire is known as one of the most powerful and influential empires the world has ever seen. At it’s height, this Empire had peace, economic prosperity and was expanding. Roman cities contributed to a fair amount of this success because they contributed to many advances during Pax Romana and united the empire. After the fall of the Empire, Christianity survived because although the empire separated into many kingdoms they were still being influenced by the religion.
In conclusion, Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire despite the barriers of Judaism, the Empire itself, and problems within the church. Ironically, the Jews rejection of Jesus as Messiah was the catalyst for the leaders of the church to take the message to the Gentiles. This growing movement threatened the foundation of the Roman Empire. Although controversial, the Bible is used as a primary source document to understand the beliefs and customs of Judaism and Christianity. For the majority of Christians, the Bible is seen as historically accurate and is fundamental to their faith. The difficulties that the early church faced such as racism, tradition, and immorality are the same struggles we face today. For many throughout the world, the Bible is used as a “how to guide” for human behavior, has stood the test of time, and continues to be relevant.
Factors Which Led to the Spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire Christianity was not born in a vacumn. There were many social, geographical, historical and religious issues prevailing at the time of Christ and all of which were favorable to the spread of Christianity. Geograpicly, Christianity came into being in the Meditation world, the largest of the various centers of civilization at that time. Israel stands almost central to the five continents, dividing the east and west.
The rise of Christianity in western civilization is arguably among the most important memories in history. There is no denying what the spread of Christianity has done for the world, for better or worse. Its impact on western civilizations is unrivaled and unprecedented. Christianity slowly became something for many individuals to turn to; in times of hurt it provided comfort, in times of pleasure it gave thanks. The will and belief for salvation has driven individuals to be better, and to have a reference while in need.
During the first half century after the crucifixion of Jesus, the Roman government including governors in the eastern provinces took no active measures against Christians. The attitude of the higher Roman authorities had always been that Christianity was merely a sect of Judaism, and as such, were entitled to share in its privileges as a recognized religion. In 64 A.D. this attitude suffered a severe alteration. On July 19, 64 A.D. occurred the great fire of Rome. Half a million people were left homeless. Popular rumor persistently asserted that the fire was started by incendiaries acting under the orders of the Emperor Nero. It was said that Nero wanted the city burnt down so he could build a new city which was to be re-named after himself. Nero felt that something must be done to deflect the public indignation against him. To do this he contrived that accusations should be brought against the Christians. So Nero began an aggressive persecution of the Christians in Rome. Those who confessed their guilt were brought to trail. During these trials a great number of other Christians were uncovered and were also brought to trial. Oddly enough, these people were not charged with starting the great fire of Rome, but rather for “hatred of the humankind.”
Christianity, originally, was thought of as an outsider religion, and wasn’t accepted by most Romans. The Romans could learn to live with other religions, but not when they were harmful to public order. At one point, Romans viewed it to be just that. Christians tended ...
Early Christian persecution, 30-250 CE, was not a universal event throughout the Roman Empire, but rather sporadic and local. In 64 CE, a massive fire destroyed almost the entirety of Rome, and in order to escape blame, Emperor Nero
To conclude, power was too fragmented in the Roman empire and the different emperors each had their own unique ways of dealing with Christians. Also, they had many problems to deal with including dynastic threats and foreign incursions. As a result, the Roman Empire simply did not have the resources to successfully stop the proliferation of Christianity. Instead, the persecutions inspired Christians to defend their faith and became a testament to the strength of the Christian faith. As a result, the persecutions helped spread and form a foundation for Christianity to grow.