1. Rome and Christianity

2. Rome and Christianity Christianity began in the Roman Empire
Millions of Romans all over the empire lived in poverty
Disease, famine, and filthy streets were common hazards for poor Romans.
The government provided free grain for the poor, but it wasn’t enough.
Judaea, a poor Roman province in what is today Israel, was home to a large population of Jews.
Jesus was born in Judaea to Jewish parents when Augustus was emperor

3. Rome and Christianity
Jesus started his ministry when Tiberius was emperor
Jesus ministered to the poor. He wanted to help the poor.
Poor Romans believed in Jesus’ teachings of love, forgiveness, and life in Heaven after death.
Jesus was controversial during his lifetime. Both Jews and Romans were worried by him: Jews for religious reasons (they didn’t believe he was the Messiah) and Romans for political reasons (they worried he would overthrow the government). “Christians” stopped following the laws of the Jewish religion and of the Roman Empire and followed Jesus’ teachings.
The Roman governor of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, condemned Jesus to death. Under Roman law at the time, Pilate’s actions were legal and just. Jesus had broken the law, was tried in court, and convicted legally according to Roman law.

4. Rome and Christianity
Jesus was the founder of Christianity, and after his death it was spread across the Roman Empire by his followers.
Disciples, those followers, traveled preaching Jesus’ ideas.
One famous disciple, Paul, traveled all around the empire, and he wrote many letters to the first Christian churches.
His letters, called epistles, became part of the Christian Bible.

5. Rome and Christianity The Roman Government worried about Christianity
Christians began to refuse to follow Roman law, and they also refused to serve in the Roman army.
After Jesus’ death, the Romans persecuted the Christians and blamed them for problems that Rome experienced. Nero blamed them for the fire that destroyed much of the city in 64 AD.
Many Christians were arrested and executed under the rule of emperors like Marcus Aurelius and Domitian. Diocletian was determined to end Christianity and made it illegal. It didn’t work and by 300 AD, 10% of all Romans were Christians.