The Rise of Christianity

Early religion of the Roman Empire was polytheistic. The Romans borrowed ideas from the Greeks Believed in many deities that had human characteristics

Appeal of Christianity: ◦ Christ and his followers saw all men as equal ◦ People were given dignity and poor received acts of charity ◦ The Holy Land of Jerusalem was part of the Roman Empire. This is where Jesus Christ was born and grew up.

Monotheistic: Christians refused to worship the emperor. The Romans feared this refusal ◦ began to persecute the Christians

In Rome, Christians were often fed to the lions as a show of exhibition Martyrs- The Christians that refused to obey the Romans and were willing to die for their religions

Legalization of Christianity in Rome In 312 AD, Emperor Constantine was in battle when he envisioned the words,” In Hoc Signo Vinces” (with this as your standard you will have victory)

After Constantine’s army won the battle, he allowed Christianity to be practiced freely throughout the empire

In 392 AD, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of Rome As Rome converted to Christianity, it spread throughout the empire ◦ This allowed it to become a major religion in only a few centuries

Spread of Christianity

The Decline of the Empire Under the emperor Diocletian, the Roman Empire was split into two halves ◦ Severely weakened the military and the economy ◦ Eastern Roman Empire  Greek-speaking area (Greece, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt) ◦ Western Roman Empire  Latin-speaking area (Italy, Gaul, Britain and Spain)

militarypolitical economicsocial Factors surrounding the collapse of Rome

Military Loss sense of patriotism Warlike mentality weakened by the spread of Christianity The government hired foreign soldiers (mercenaries) to defend borders. ◦ (Army lacked training, discipline and loyalty)

Political Inefficient and corrupt government Civil wars and citizens were no longer loyal to officials Sometimes, Roman legions fought one another Too large to govern effectively

Economic Plebian class weakened Farmers left land because of overreliance on slave labor Unfair taxes and unemployment cause inflation Constant civil war hurt economy 1/3 of population was on welfare

Social Inequality of wealth created rigid class structure Many of the underemployed became lazy and selfish Instead of correcting economic problems, the government gave them bread and circuses –(the Colosseum)

Foreign Invasion Rome was in decline from 200AD to 500 AD ◦ Final collapse came as a result of foreign invasion

German tribes, who had been at peace with the Romans for several years, invaded the territory The Huns, a group of Mongol nomads from Central Asia, led by Atitila, destroyed several Roman cities The Visigoths, Vandals and Franks all led attacks on the Roman Empire. In 476 AD, the last Roman Emperor was removed and German chief named himself King of Italy. ◦ This overthrow led to almost a complete collapse of western civilization