The Roman Empire reached its peak during the Pax Romana period when Jesus was born. The first emperor, Augustus, brought stability and prosperity by regulating taxation and encouraging farming and trade. However, moral decline and the costs of maintaining a large empire contributed to the collapse of Rome. Barbarian invasions and the sacking of Rome in 410 AD marked the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.

1. ROMAN EMPIRE
Ch. 5

2. Pax Romana
 Roman Empire at its peak
 Jesus born during this time

3. Augustus
 1st Citizen of Rome
 Shared power with Senate
 Also known as
 Augustus (title of divinity, honor, majesty)
 Caesar
 Emperor

4. Augustus and Pax Romana
Economic Farming and
prosperity & trade flourished
Stable currency
Social reforms to
Regulate taxation:
revive: duty,
Census every 14
discipline, hard work
yrs.
Ease of Safe travel
communication • Got rid of piracy
• Everyone used
Roman and
Greek languages

5. Roman Culture &
Achievement

6. Law
 System of justice
 Protected individual rights
 Many European adopted these principles into
their current law

7. Literature
 Influenced by Greeks
 Virgil (70-19BC)
 Greatest roman poet
 Glorified Rome
 “Rome was destined to rule the world”
 Horace
 Friendof Virgil
 Warned of danger of luxury and ease
 Praised virtues of morality, justice, moderation and courage
 Ovid
 Wrote about mythology and love
 Popular among upper class Rome

8. After Augustus death, mood of writers
changed…
Juvenal
• Satires about loose morals and
social problems
Tacitus
• Favored old republic to new empire
• Wrote about Germanic peoples

9. Latin language
remains main used
language throughout
Medieval times

10. Greek Influence
 Plutarch
 Wrote about influential Greeks and Romans
 Galen
 Advances in medical knowledge
 Wrote medical encyclopedia
 Ptolemy
 Theorythat earth is center of universe
(geocentric)

11. Art and Architecture
 Art
 Generalsbrought back from conquests
 Copied Greek statues
 Romans excelled at busts
 Statues realistic (scars and all)
 Excelled at relief art
 Architecture
 Aqueducts
 Bridges
 Road system
 Buildings were: large, durable, and practical

12. Religious Beliefs
 nature gods  mythology philosophy
 Epicureans (Lucretius)
 Freeyour mind from fear and pain
 Seek happiness for yourself
 Stoics (Seneca)
 Goal of romans to seek “good behavior”
 Courage
 Dignity
 Duty
 service

13. Eastern Influence
 Mystery religions
 Polytheisticand mythological
 Tolerated by Romans as long as acknowledged
emperor as a god too
 Pontifex maximus – worship of emperor
 Christianspersecuted because they would not
participate in this

14. Introduction of Christianity

15. A World Made Ready
 God prepared world for birth of Christ
 Romans
 Made travel safe
 Political stability
 Greeks
 Main language understood in all empire
 Jews
 Temple destroyed
 Jews built synagogues as places of worship
 Translated OT into Greek so all could read (Septuagint)
 Jews and Gentiles

16. Turning Point in History
 God sent Jesus to redeem sinful man
 Born in Roman Province – Judea
 Most Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah
 They wanted freedom from Roman oppression
 He offended Jewish religious leaders (Pharisees)
 They plotted His death
 Brought Him before Pontius Pilate
 Charge Him wanted to overthrow Roman rule
 Pontius Pilate gave in to keep peace in province
 Jesus death and resurrection brought HOPE to
world
 Jesus changed history

17. Spread of Gospel
 Jesus charged disciples to spread gospel in all
world
 Conditions were favorable for spread of Gospel
 Jerusalem became center of early Church
 Disciples
preached and converted thousands in
Jerusalem
 Persecution of Christians in Jerusalem
 Lead to spread of Christianity throughout
 Judea and Samaria
 Even further because of:
 Conversion of Paul

18. Paul
 Born into prosperous Jew family
 Tarsus (Turkey)
 Well educated
 Persecuted Christians until conversion on
Damascus Road
 Wrote epistles in NT
 Planted churches in:
 AsiaMinor
 Macedonia
 Greece
 Rome

19. Destruction of Jerusalem
 586 BC – 70 AD – Jerusalem under foreign rule
 Chaldeans
 Persians
 Alexander the Great
 Ptolemies
 Seleucids
 Romans
 Jews grew restless under Roman rule
 66 AD- Rebellion
 70 AD- Roman legions arrive and destroy city
 Looted temple
 Jews scatter throughout world

20. Church Organizational
Development
 First Christians met in homes or synagogues
 Early leaders  apostles chosen by Jesus
Christ
 Pastor and Elders were equal at first
 LaterElders took care of business
 Pastor concentrated in studying scripture
 As churches grew in size power and prestige of
pastor/bishop grew
 Problems facing early church:
 Rapidlyincreasing membership
 Persecution

21. Persecution to Acceptance
 Nero  Diocletian
 54 AD  305 AD
 Nevertheless, Christianity grew and flourished
 313 AD – Edict of Milan by Emperor
Constantine
 Made Christianity legal
 Dramatically changed history of church
 Rome changes from persecutor of Christianity to its
protector and patron

22. Restored
lands to
church
Encouraged
Made
others to
embrace Constantine Sunday
legal holiday
Christianity
Funds for
new church
buildings

23.  Arius
 Heretic who challenged deity of Christ
 Constantine called general assembly of church
leaders
 Council of Nicea 325 AD
 Affirmed Christ deity and Trinity
 Emperor involved in church business
 Brought power and prosperity to church
 Theodosius I
 Made
Christianity official and exclusive religion in
Roman state

24. Church
 Grows in number and prosperity
 Decline in purity
 Peoplejoin just because it’s “the thing to do”
 Pagan practices leak in:
 Monasticism – live separate from society
 Influence from Eastern religions
 DOES NOT HAVE ANY BIBLICAL BASE!
 Organization changes
 Hierarchy similar to political system instead of based
on Biblical teachings

25. In time, Roman
Patriarchates patriarch grew in
& Patriarch power
Pope main power
in Catholic church
Province &
Archbishop
Diocese &
Bishop
* Worldliness and
Parish &
paganism
Pastor
influences church
and it departs from
Biblical truths

26. Collapse of Roman Empire
1. Political Reasons
2. Economic Reasons
1. Cost to maintain
3. Moral Reasons

27. Political Economic Moral
• Internal weakness • Cost to maintain large • Discipline, duty and
• No strong leadership empire loyalty not valued
• Assassinations, civil • Raise taxes anymore
war, and inner turmoil • Value of coins decrease • Greed increases
• Army controlled state to • Prices increase • People anted free food
satisfy its greed and entertainment
• Family life disintegrated
Reasons for Collapse of Roman Empire

28. Reform and Reorganization
Attempts
 Diocletian and Constantine
 Strong leaders who delayed fall of Rome for 200
years
 Diocletian realized empire too large!
 Appointed a co-emperor to rule west “Augustus”
 Augustus appointed a helper = Caesar
 Divided empire into 4 parts
(prefectures)
 Brought stability back
to empire
 New coins and tax system

29. Reform and Reorganization
Attempts
 Constantine won civil war after Diocletian
 Moved capital east to Byzantium (Constantinople)

30. Barbarian Invasions
• Courageous
• Restless
• Drinkers
• Gamblers
• Skilled
fighters
• Romans
allowed
barbarians
in army
• 410 AD –
Visigoths
ransack
Rome
• 476 AD –
Official fall
of Western
Roman
Empire