1. ROME: Christianity, Achievements, and Decline

2. SOL Standards Essential Questions How did Christianity become established within the Roman empire? What were the essential beliefs of the early Christian faith? How and why did Christianity spread? What was the impact of the early Church in the late Roman Empire? How did Roman achievements influence Western civilization? Why did the Western Roman Empire decline?

3. Origins of Christianity Had its roots in Judaism Was lead by Jesus of Nazareth who was proclaimed the Messiah Messiah: savior

4. Beliefs of Christianity Monotheism: belief in one God Jesus is both the Son and incarnation (human form) of God Life after death

5. The New Testament Contains accounts of the life and the teachings of Jesus as well as the writings of early Christians of The Bible

6. Spread of Christianity Carried by the Apostles, including Paul, throughout the Empire PaulThe Apostles

7. Persecution Early Christians were persecuted by the Romans for refusing to worship the Roman Gods Martyr: Someone who dies for their beliefs

8. Church Councils Christian doctrine was established by early church councils Doctrine: beliefs The First Council of Nicaea

9. Emperor Constantine Adopted and legalized Christianity 1 st Roman Emperor to do so Later Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire

10. Impact of the Church in the Late Roman Empire As the Roman Empire declined in the West, the church in Rome grew in importance, membership, and influence. The church became an example of moral authority

11. Church in Western Europe Loyalty to the church became more important than loyalty to the Emperor. The church became the main unifying force in Western Europe.

12. Diaspora Scattering of the Jews Jews were exiled from Israel by the Romans in AD 132. They migrated to places all around the Mediterranean Sea

13. Decline of the Roman Empire Moral decay Army discipline Division of empire Political problems Invasions Economic problems MAD PIE

14. Barbarian Invaders Germanic tribes repeatedly attacked along the northern borders. Barbarians: Non-Romans

15. Army Membership To defend against increasing threats, Rome hired mercenaries (foreign soldiers who fought for money). Military started to include invaders Discipline and loyalty collapsed.

16. Division of the Empire Rome was divided into Eastern and Western portions Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium (He also ended persecution of Christians)

17. Invasions From 376 to 476 Germanic and Mongol invaders poured into the Western portion of the Roman Empire.

18. Economic Problems The high cost of defending its borders caused the Empire to raise taxes and mint coins with less silver. With Roman money worth less(devaluation), prices rose (inflation). Small farmers abandoned their lands causing food shortages.

19. Political Problems Civil conflict: politician- generals fought each other for power Weak leadership: Emperors were unable to handle problems faced by the empire. They were often brutal and incompetent. Many were murdered.

20. Moral Decay Conditions in the later centuries made Romans lose their patriotism. The people lost faith in Rome and the family

21. Western Empire Falls The Western Roman Empire ceased to exist in 476 AD when Germanic invaders overthrew the last Roman Emperor.

22. Byzantine Empire The Eastern Roman Empire survived and later became known as the Byzantine Empire

23. Roman Achievements Roads Connected Rome to all parts of the Empire Were built to last (some are still in use today)

24. Arches and Aqueducts Arches were used as memorials in addition to supporting buildings, bridges, and aqueducts Aqueducts were designed to bring water from the mountains to the cities. Victory ArchAqueduct

25. The Forum Means open space or marketplace The political and economic heart of Rome.

26. Pantheon Domed temple dedicated to the Roman gods Similar to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

27. Roman Coliseum Stadium which held 50,000 Mock battles, gladiator contests, and other bloody spectacles were seen here

28. Roman Baths Romans swam, exercised, gambled, gossiped, and played games in addition to bathing. Both rich and poor could afford to go often.

29. Public Health Piped water for drinking and bathing Sewage systems to remove human waste Medical Schools Galen

30. The Aeneid Written in praise of Rome and Roman virtues Modeled after the Greek Epics of Homer By Virgil Virgil Reading The Aeneid to Augustus

31. Ptolemy Created the first world Atlas with longitude and latitude. Designed an Earth-centered, (wrong) model of the universe that was held as truth for 1400 years.

32. Latin and the Romance languages Latin: The language of Rome, the Roman Catholic Church, and learning in Western Europe. Romance languages: Languages derived from Latin: Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

33. Reflection The Christian religion was spread throughout the Roman Empire by A. Abraham. B. Paul. C. Muhammad. D. Caesar. Constantine relocated the capital of Rome to Constantinople. The previous name of this city was A. Carthage. B. Gaul. C. Nazareth. D. Byzantium.