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The Rise of Christianity & Fall Of The Roman Empire

SS.A.3.4.4; SS.B.2.4.1; SS.B.1.4.4; SS.A.2.4.5

The Roman Religion


Caesar Augustus restores Roman religion

Religion had declined during the late Republic

Greek gods worshiped with Roman names Emperors worshiped as gods Observation of rituals brought humans into better relationship with gods

Success comes from pleasing the gods

Romans tolerant of others faiths; worship of native gods allowed in provinces Religions of the East were considered trendy, became popular among Romans looking for a more emotional religion/faith

Jewish Background
In Hellenistic times, Jews given much more independence than other cultures A.D. 6: Roman province of Judaea covers land of the Israelites, ruled by procurator Unrest, difference of opinion about Rome

Sadducees:

cooperate with Rome Pharisees: observe religious law to keep Jewish identity Essenes: lived as hermits waiting for God to save them from Roman oppression Zelots: called for open revolt against Rome

Rise of Christianity
A.D. 30: Jewish prophet named Jesus begins preaching in Judaea and Galilee Jesus Mission: complete salvation God promised to the people of Israel Messiah Taught people to look for inner peace by practicing humility, charity and love toward others Put to death for revolutionary ideas Followers proclaimed he rose from the dead three days after his death

Words of Jesus:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Spread of Christianity
Began as a movement with Judaism Prominent leaders include:

Simon
First

Peter: Jesus friend, Jewish fisherman

leader of the Christian religion

Paul:

educated Jewish citizen of Rome, who took the message of Jesus to Gentiles

Paul believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and humanity can be saved from sin by accepting the teachings of Jesus Paul wrote letters outlining his beliefs

Spreading the Word of Jesus


Followers wrote down Jesus sayings, and stories from his life A.D. 40-100: Christians use these stories, sayings to create Gospels (good news) Together with the letters of Paul and others, they form New Testament By 100, churches found in most cities in Eastern empire, and some in West

The Christian Persecution


Christian values vs. Greco-Roman values Christians refuse to worship emperors

Romans

think of this as treason Christians believe in only one God, and worshiping another endangers soul

Nero begins persecution (harassing to cause suffering), blaming them for fire By the end of the rule of the five Good Emperors, persecution mostly stopped

Christian Triumph

Even with persecution, Christianity grows


Persecution

seen as strengthening faith Persecution forces organization

Bishops lead whole communities in prayer


System

of organization gives specific jobs to clergy (church leaders) and laity (followers)

Christianity grew quickly in the 1st Century A.D., took root in the 2nd, and spread widely in the 3rd Century

Reasons for Growth

Christian message appealed to Romans


Christianity

gives purpose to life Roman religion was impersonal and existed for the benefit of the Roman Republic/Empire Christianity=personal, eternal life, salvation

Christianity seemed familiar, shared qualities with other trendy faiths from East Christianity offered sense of belonging

Churches=close

community with common goals, help one another; inclusive (rich/poor)

Christianity: Religion of the People


You have put on the new selfHere there is no Greek nor Jew, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.~ Pauls Letter to the Colossians Christianity preached of spiritual equality

Rich,

poor, free, slave all could be saved

Last persecution was in 4th Century, under Emperor Diocletian, who admitted the strength of Christianity was too much

Christianity: Official Religion of Rome

A.D. 313: Emperor Constantine issues Edict of Milan, giving freedom of religion
Constantine

becomes first Christian emperor of Rome, baptized at the end of his life

Theodosius the Great establishes Christianity as the official state religion of Rome

Roman Decline

The last of the Five Good EmperorsMarcus Aurelius dies in A.D. 180

Civil wars follow for next 13 years

Emperor Septimius Severus told his sons: pay the soldiers, ignore everyone else Severan emperors known for militaristic rule, and brutality 235-284: Throne held by whoever can take it by force 22 emperors of this period, most die violently Constant invasion also caused problems

Economic & Military Problems


3rd

Century: Invasions, civil wars and plague almost ruins Roman economy
Plague

causes less people to trade & soldiers Farm production down, armies ravage them Money loses value

No money to recruit and pay soldiers Germans fill in the gap, but have little loyalty to generals, or the empire

Diocletian & Constantine


Introduce Late Roman Empire with new governmental, economic and social structuresalong with new religion + Diocletian believes empire too big to rule, divides empire into four parts, each ruled by own ruleremperor still highest auth. Bureaucracy expanded, army reorganized Wage and price controls to help inflation

New Empire=New Capital


Constantine builds new capital city in east Picks site of old Greek city Byzantium Renames city Constantinople (Istanbul) Had excellent strategic position Became his New Rome and capital of Eastern Roman Empire, as the empire continues to split between East and West

An Empire Divided Cannot Stand

Empire splits between East and West


Western

capital=Rome Eastern capital=Constantinople

Western empire under attack by Germans 350-400: Huns, tribe from Asia, and pressures Germanic Visigoths, moving them into Roman territory, become allies of Rome against Hunsrevolt soon after 410: Visigoths sack Rome 455: Vandals sack Rome

The Fall of Rome


A.D. 476: Emperor Romulus Augustulus is the last emperor of Rome, deposed by German general Germanic kingdoms replace empire Eastern, Byzantine Empire survives

The

Byzantine Empire lasts another 1,000 yrs

Many reasons are given for the fall of Rome, none fully explain it.

Reasons Given For Fall of Empire:


Christianitys embrace of spiritual life Non-Italians eroding Roman values Lead poisoning causes mental decline Plague kills 1/10 of population Failure to advance technology b/c of slavery Inadequate political system for large empire

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