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Comparing Marcus Cato By Plutarch And The Gospel According To Matthew

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Even though many people now associate Rome with the Catholic Church and the beginning of Christianity, this Mediterranean epicenter used to be the center of conflict with the Christians. Because of the differing views, the Roman government was unwilling to allow Christianity to thrive in Rome and systematically denied them their religious right. The early Christians throughout the Roman Empire feared the government and the laws because of the persecution that lasted for centuries. While the Roman Empire fixated their attention on their worldly lives, Christians focused on what is to come after death. Two examples of the different views of the Romans and early Christians are Marcus Cato by Plutarch and the Gospel According to Matthew. In these separate works, the differences of their attitudes, actions, and beliefs on human …show more content…

The Roman’s quintessential citizen included a forbidding and robust attitude along with powerful physical attributes. Marcus Cato was the ideal Roman man during the times of the Republic because of his prominent presence and masculine mindset. The men of Rome were expected to follow his example and have the heart of a warrior. In Marcus Cato, Plutarch said that Cato “thought it more honorable to conquer those who possessed the gold, than to possess the gold itself.”1 Cato embraced the Roman lifestyle and his mentality matched. Whereas the Romans focused more on the brawny attitude of the citizens, early Christians strived to be meek, humble, and poor in spirit, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”2 Jesus directly stated this in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. God did not call the early Christians to be robust warriors with fearsome reputations as they transitioned into Christianity. Much to their disappointment, He did not destine them to be a victorious people in this life, but to be righteous throughout

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