Chapter Your NAMES GO HERE

 Rome’s religion was a hodgepodge of superstations, nature worship and rituals borrowed from other cultures. Wherever Romans traveled, they returned with new beliefs and gods. These were often assimilated into Roman life, adding to the empire’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. Chapter 21: Magic and the Cults of Ancient Rome

supersttions

Cults of Isis and Cybele

 Why did Roman’s use magic?

 What were the origins of the ludi? What were some of the major festivals?

 What kinds of gods did traditional Roman religion have?

 Who was Cybele supposed to be? What did her story explain?

 “Religion was like a hige basket filled with gods” What is the simile in this sentence?

 Maintaining Rome’s sprawling empire required thousands of men and a constant supply of money. Collecting taxes to pay for officials and soldiers was an endless task for administrators and a burden for citizens. Even the most reluctant taxpayer, however, appreciated the paved roads, the clean water, the public order that often accompanied Roman occupation. Chapter 22: Taxes and Tactics in Provinces

 What argument does Tacitus say the Roman general Cerialis used to persuade the Britons that imperial taxces were necessary

 What was the “genius” of the way Rome ruled the provinces?

 What was the purpose fo the census?

 What effects did the Roman rule have on people in the provinces?

 In attempting to unify the diverse cultures under its rule, Rome faced an uphill battle. The Jews of Judea proved impossible to assimilate. They could be crushed in warfare and scattered throughout the world, but their unifying faith and defining cultural memories assured survival for the Jewish people. Chapter 23: One god or many? Jews in the Roman Empire

monotheistic

polytheistic

kosher

Yahweh

client

diaspora

 Why is the Sabbath day important in the Jewish faith?

 Why would the Jews not bow down to a Roman emperor and call him a god?

 Why is Judas Maccabeus a hero to the Jewish people?

 What caused the tradition of rabbinic Judaism to arise?

Your Groups Assignment: Study the map of Jewish Diaspora. Answer the questions on a separate sheet

 The humble life of Christ and the struggles of the early Christian church gave no suggestion that Christianity would become one of the major spiritual and political forces of the world. By the fourth century CE, however, Christians were in control of the Roman Empire and determining the course of world history. Chapter 24: From Jesus to Constantine: the Rise of Christianity

Herod

Constantine

Paul

 Why did the Jews look forward to the coming of the Messiah?

 According to Matthew, why did Mary and Joseph escape to Egypt with the baby Jesus?

 What did followers of Jesus believe happened after his death?

 What did Constantine see in the sky that made him change his life?

HOMEWOR K Read the passage “Roman Treatment of Christians” and answer the questions