THE CRISIS OF ROME
Though there have been times of persecution for Christians in recent years there has not been such persecution of Christians since the Roman Empire. Under the Roman Empire millions of Christians were martyred. The Church survived but the Roman Government eventually fell. I propose that from the time of Nero to the time of Diocletian the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. I will first give a brief history of Rome, then a description of the persecutions, then finally a historical and scriptural conclusion. The Roman Empire has unique history. Ingenuity, brutality and cold determination characterize the Roman Legions. For example they defeated Carthage in the Punic wars. Carthage was the master of the Mediterranean
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In the greatest period all the other periods of persecution are combined and magnified which is why the most vivid example of the Blood of the Martyrs brings about the most dramatic growth in the church.
So it was true also that during this time scores of Christians eagerly went the places of execution to declare there beliefs and receive their rewards. It was estimated that in one month 17,000 Christians were put to death over the entire Roman Empire. It was also reported that some rivers had their colors altered because of the great amount of blood poured into them. But God delivered his children after 10 years of intense persecution Diocletian abdicated his throne because of poor health and Constantine relieved the persecution when he signed the edict of toleration in 313 A.D.
Though it may seem hard to believe but the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. As Jesus gave his life for the sake of the people of the world so those that were martyred shared in that privilege. Though governments were confused, Jews angry, and Emperors wroth the simple message backed by the testimonies of martyrs. Paul said it best in Romans
In History of Africa, Shillington focuses on many aspects of African culture and factors that made Africa to be the continent that it is today. Chapter 5 primarily focuses on the Northern region of Africa and how empires took over and spread their ideology technology, and culture all through out the region. Even today some remnants of the Roman and Greek empire live on to this day (Shillington, 69.) Despite many people getting the impression that Northern Africa is only influenced by Arabic and Islam, these empires and their conquests are best understood through topics like intricate trading routes, farming, and the spread of religion. Shillington provides an in depth analysis of how many of these conquests affected Northern Africa centuries ago and today.
Barbara Diefendorf's book, The Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre is a window into the struggle of religion and secular power during the Protestant Reformation. Beyond the social elitism, mob mentality is an ever-present force that is ignited during the Religious Wars. Differences in religion are a contributor to factional tensions. Manipulation by religious leaders and misunderstanding between the two religious sects’ practices create this religious tension. Although Protestants and Catholics share the core teachings of Christianity, a struggle for secular power, feelings of tribalism, and conflicting religious ideals not only solidify the schism between these two sects of Christianity, but escalated these tensions to bloodshed.
It allowed people to see that Christianity, like the worship of multiple gods in paganism, led to success. Christianity also unified the military during Constantine’s rule by giving them a single reason to fight. The positives expressed in Eusebius writing express the greatness of Christianity. When in reality, Julian pointing out the issues brought upon the Roman empire caused by the introduction of Christianity states otherwise. When he writes, “For you do not take notice whether any mention is made by the Jews of holiness, but you emulate their rage and their bitterness, overturning temples and altars, and cutting the throats not only of those who remain firm in paternal institutes…”
The final reason that Christianity took hold in the ancient world is because of how devoted the followers of Christianity were. Christians would take people into their homes and take care of them if they were in need, and would do their best to help them get back on their feet. (Doc D) A man named Paul who came to know the Christian religion spent 30 years of his life traveling the eastern Mediterranean sea, preaching the word of Jesus, and he single handedly wrote most of the New Testament letters on his journey. (Doc F) A group of Christians were sentenced to execution for not buying sacrificial items for the Roman gods.
The Protestant Reformation had a huge impact in all Europe in the sixteen century, but which ones were the factors that lead to it? It is very important to highlight that the European Christianity was falling into a noticeable corruption of its popes and some other high position members. Robbery, and even warriors were among of some factors that took the Cristian Church to a declining path. One of these examples was the Pope Julius II, which one won the nickname “the warrior pope” because he led armies against people. Furthermore, the church was not the only factor promoting this reformation, some other social changes were occurring with the masses in Europe; many of the peasants were being free especially in the western Europe.
The fall of Rome was mainly because of plagues wiping out most of the population. The fall of the Han dynasty began from decentralized rule. However, outside invasions had an effect on the fall of both classical civilizations. Series of plagues began to hit the Rome Empire by the 2nd century. These plagues lowered the population drastically.
The legendary Roman Empire lasted from 753 B.C.E. all the way until 1453 A.D. However Rome split in two at about 395 A.D. which crippled the ancient Rome we know. So really ancient Rome lived from 753 B.C.E. to 476 A.D. But the name of Rome continued on in the Byzantine empire for about another 1000 years. Yet many people nowadays still refer to Rome as one of the greatest ancient civilizations of all time.
Even though Christians were persecuted on and off during the Roman Empire, Christianity flourished. In the early Roman Empire, when Claudius, Nero, Domitian, and Trajan were emperors, Christianity was banned and Christians were persecuted. Nevertheless, Christians found ways to spread Christianity, and many people converted. As trials occurred and the Empire lost good leaders, the people took security in Christianity and other religions. Christianity grew during the Roman Empire because Constantine helped create the Edict of Milan, Constantine had imperial favor toward The Church, and there was trade routes to spread Christianity to different areas.
In Tacitus account of Roman history, Christians were burnt, eaten by animals, and crucified. Document C details why the Romans were persecuting the Christians. According to the Theologian professor, the reason for Christian persecution in Rome was because the Romans did not understand Christian rituals.
Introduction Rome and Carthage were almost equal in strength and resources. From the early days of the Republic, Rome and Carthage maintained a friendly relationship and even signed a treaty against Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who was a threat to both states. Comparison Ancient Carthage was a wealthy state with a small population, it employed foreigners to do the unwanted jobs and relied on foreign mercenaries rather than citizens to do her fighting. The mercenaries did not have a sense of belonging to the Carthaginian nation.
The Crusades in Medieval Europe, from approximately 1069 – 1270 had a significant impact on the teachings and influence of the Catholic Church. It was a series of military expeditions caused by religious and personal motives that caused the church to become a vital and powerful part of the European lifestyle. The Crusades were a series of Holy wars during the time of Medieval Europe against Middle Eastern Muslims. These military expeditions were undertaken by those of every class and had the ultimate goal of recapturing the Holy Land, Jerusalem. During this time the Church began to feel threatened by the growing power and land capturing of the Islamic Muslims.
Diocletian tormented many of the Christians until they perished (Alchin). After about three hundred years, it became easier for the Christians. Constantine, the emperor of Rome at the time, converted to Christianity. This resulted in the end of the persecutions and the beginning of Christendom. In the year 313, Constantine issued to Edict of Milan.
It can be seen that Christianity had the most significant changes in Roman society compared to the other religions. Christianity improved the social, cultural and political way
Bishops gained a lot of power with control of church memberships, finances, and the selection of priests. In 590, “Gregory the Great was named Bishop of Rome…and named himself ‘Pope’ and the ‘Head of the Universal Church.’” He was the key to asserting papal primacy and started the requirement of confession and penance. He also worked to convert the pagan kings, hoping more people would follow in their footsteps. With the belief that Constantine left his crown to the papacy, the future Popes had the power to crown the emperor acting as god’s representative.
With these type of factors in mind, this paper will answer the question “How did Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome impact Christianity?”.