1. Christianity and the end of Rome

2. Judea becomes Roman province in 6 A. D
Judea becomes Roman province in 6 A.D., mostly Jews who held tightly to their religious beliefs and laws. Thought Roman rule would corrupt their religion.
Christian Founders
Jesus: Jewish prophet who traveled and preached throughout Judea. Focused mostly on unconditional love and worship of God.
Was viewed as a religious enemy by Jewish leadership/political enemy by Roman official. Arrested, tried and put to death
Peter: Apostle of Jesus who spread Christianity and seen as the first head of the church. Catholic church in Rome where he died.
*The first Pope
Paul: Initially an enemy of Christianity. Had a conversion experience and then spread it.
Preached that salvation was through the acceptance of Jesus as Christ
Was the first to offer Christianity to gentiles
*Gentiles were non-Jews
* Christ is Greek for Messiah

3. Rome vs Christianity
Christians were persecuted in Rome due to cultural differences with Roman religion and a lack of organized leadership.
Wouldn’t attend festivals of Roman Gods
Wouldn’t worship the Roman Gods or emperor at all, seen as treason
Believed that their god and the lives of its members were above the state of Rome
Christians were attacked and massacred by Romans and even the Roman government. Many were killed in public executions through crucifixions or burning at the stake.
Christianity continued to spread through the appeal of salvation through a single god.
*Nero blamed Christians for the burning of Rome
Christianity got relief with the Edict of Milan passed by Constantine, which granted complete religious freedom throughout the empire in 313 A.D.

4. Standardization of Christianity
Council of Nicaea – Council of bishops across Rome create the official doctrine of Christianity and the basic beliefs in 325 A.D. Established the base of what would become Catholicism.
Emperor Constantine becomes the first Christian emperor.
Constantine moves Roman capitol from Rome to Byzantium, renames it Constantinople
380 A.D. Christianity becomes the official religion after the edict of Thessalonica under Theodosius the Great.

5. The Nail in the Coffin
Huns – Nomadic group from the Steppes of Asia that invaded Germania
Began putting pressure on the native Gothic tribes of Germania
Attila the Hun invaded the empire twice, going into central Gaul and the second time nearly reaching Rome, sacking several cities each time.
Visigoths – Native Germanic tribe that fled from the Huns and allied with Rome
Due to poor treatment the Visigoths revolted and defeated an Eastern Roman Empire at Adrianople.
The Visigoths would later sack Rome 410 A.D. The Vandals from North Africa sacked Rome in 455 A.D.
Ostrogoths – Eastern Germanic group that deposed the last Roman emperor Romulus Augustus in 476 A.D, and ended the Roman Empire.
*Attila was near Rome but turned back after a meeting with Pope Leo I