Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity 1

The Roman Empire Augustus is the first Roman Emperor Augustus wore a crown and the color purple (the most expensive color at the time) Augustus was a great ruler but he produced some pretty terrible offspring. “I inherited a city of bricks and made it a city of Marble” Augustus

You probably Wouldn’t Want to Be Emperor Augustus’s Decedents: 1.Tiberius-Murdered 2.Caligula-Assassinated by his own body guards 3.Claudius-Poisoned by his own wife. 4.Nero- Most Crazy Emperor of all.

Nero (Crazy Nero) Ruled jointly with his mother (Had a problem with sharing power) Tries to kill his mother by sinking her boat. (she swam to shore) Murder two wives (Kicked one to death while she was pregnant. Finally his army had enough and tried to kill him. He eventually stabbed himself. “What an artist dies in me”

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Pax Romana Pax Romana-Roman Peace was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries.Roman Empire

7 Roman Arts & Entertainment

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Christianity -Early on in Pax Romana, a new religion, Christianity emerged in a distant corner of the Empire -Many different religions in the empire -By 63 B.C., Romans had conquered Judea where most Jewish people lived. 9

Roman Occupation of Judah -Romans allowed Jewish people to worship their one god -Many Jews reluctantly lived under Roman rule, however, some wanted a revolt against Rome and believed a messiah would come to lead their people to freedom

Jesus -Born in 4 B.C. in Bethlehem -worshipped God and followed Jewish law -at 30 began preaching to villagers, used parables-short stories with simple moral lessons to communicate his ideas -Recruited 12 disciples to help him spread his ideas, called apostles, in Jerusalem -Some Jews in Jerusalem welcomed Jesus, many of the priests felt he threatened their leadership -Roman authorities felt Jesus would lead the Jews in a revolt against their rule 11

Death of Jesus -According to the gospels, Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples, arrested by the Romans, and killed by crucifixion-a person was bound to a cross and left to die -Rumors then spread that Jesus had not died but had risen from death and commanded his disciples to spread his teachings -After the disciples reported he ascended into heaven 12

Christianity Spreads -Followers called Christians -Disciples preach the messages of Christianity throughout the Roman world -Peter established Christianity in Rome itself -Paul played the most influential role in spreading Christianity 13 -His letters became part of the New Testament in the Bible

Christians Oppressed -Romans were not tolerant towards Christians because: -they refused to honor the emperor with sacrifices -they refused to worship Roman gods to protect the state -Christians were used as scapegoats, blamed for social and economic problems -Many Christians became martyrs- or people who suffer or die for their beliefs -However, Christianity continued to spread due to the fact that all people were welcome 14

Key Beliefs: Christianity Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament and the Son of God.JesusOld Testament Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to save humanity of its sins.sins One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross and rising from the dead on the third day (the Resurrection). Christians believe that there is only one God, but that there are three elements to this one God: (Trinity)three elements to this one God God the Father God the Son The Holy Spirit

Early Christian Church -Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in A.D The Edict granted freedom of worship to all citizens of the Roman empire -By the end of the century, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire

Structure of the Church The Christian Clergy Bishop Pope Diocese Priest + Community Diocese Priest + Community Diocese Priest + Community 18