2. Judaism in the Empire
As
Rome secured Judea under
Augustus
Jews
believed a messiah would
save them
Jewish
Judea
revolts lead to unrest in
Destruction of the Temple
70 A.D.
3. Jesus of Nazareth
A
Jew who proclaimed that God’s
rule was close at hand preached
acts of kindness
Disciples believed he was messiah
4. Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus’s
teachings offended many
Jewish leaders
Romans viewed him as an
instigator
Executed by crucifixion
5. Spread and Persecution of
Christianity
Disciples
claimed Jesus had risen
from the dead and was the messiah
Converts like Paul spread religion
throughout Mediterranean
Peter brought Christianity to Rome
Many believers were martyred by
the Romans
6. Early Christianity in Rome
Rome’s
early tolerance of
religions and transportation
routes allowed for
Christianity to spread
Rome began to view
Christians as a threat and
persecuted them
Christian Martyrs in Rome
Christians served as a
scapegoat for the problems
in the Empire
7. The Early Church
According
to legend, Constantine
accepted Christianity in 312 after a
battle
Edict of Milan granted all religious
freedom
Theodosius made Christianity
Rome’s official religion in 392
8. The Early Church
Church
was set up in a hierarchy by
the 400’s and the bishop of Rome
had taken a leadership role as the
pope
Latin churches-Roman Catholic
Greek churches-Eastern Orthodox
“Legacy
of Monotheism” p. 15
10. Empire’s Problem
After
Marcus Aurelius, there were
28 emperors in 90 years
Instability opened Rome up to
attacks from “Barbarians”
Warfare led to poor crops, inflation,
and extreme financial hardship for
the empire
11. An Empire Divided
The
west part of the Roman Empire
was being constantly attacked
Diocletian and Constantine tried to
implement reforms to slow
economic decline unsuccessfully
Theodosius decreed that the empire
should be split in 395
12. Reasons Barbarians Attacked
Sought
warmer, southern
climate
Wanted Rome’s wealth
Inability of military to
contain Visigoths led to
further uprisings from
Franks, Vandals, Goths,
Huns and others
Visigoths Sack Rome
13. Fall of Western Empire
Vandals
destroyed Rome in 455
Franks and Goths divided Gaul
In 476, Odoacer defeated the
last Roman Emperor
This German general accepted
Latin culture and Christianity
14. Reasons for Roman Collapse
Collapse
took hundreds of years
Decline in Morals (Gladiators, Prostitutes)
Barbarian Invasions
Inflation and Military Spending
Political Corruption
Public Health
15. Roman Legacy
Preserved Greek Culture
Latin became the base language for
many other languages throughout
Europe
Roman Law and Gov’t became the core
for many western countries today
The western world’s major religion,
Christianity, was greatly influenced by
Rome
