Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity : 

Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Which of the following statements do you most agree with: : 

Which of the following statements do you most agree with: The best way to rule an empire is through might. The best way to rule and empire is through tolerance. The best way to rule an empire is through trade. The best way to rule and empire is through propaganda.

Chapter Focus Question: : 

Chapter Focus Question: How did Rome grow from a single city to a huge, diverse empire?

Italy’s Geography : 

Italy’s Geography Rome is centrally located on the Italian peninsula. Because of the geography, Italy was much easier to unify than Greece. It is not broken up into small, isolated valleys. The Apennine Mountains, a less rugged mountain range, run the length of Italy. Italy also boasts fertile plains in the north and west.

Early History of Italy : 

Early History of Italy In 800 B.C. the Latins, early ancestors of the Romans migrated to Italy. They settled along the Tiber River in small villages over low-lying hills. They herded and farmed on these lands. The villages in Rome would grow together. According to myth, it was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus, on top of Palatine Hill.

Early History of Italy : 

Early History of Italy Romans highly regarded this tale because the twins were the sons of the war god, Mars, lending Romans a divine origin.

The Romans establish a Republic : 

The Romans establish a Republic In 509 B.C. the Romans drove out the Etruscan ruler and founded the Roman state. They established their government as a republic, because they thought that this would prevent any one individual from gaining too much power. In the early republic, the most powerful governing body was the senate.

The Romans establish a Republic : 

The Romans establish a Republic Originally, all 300 members were patricians, or members of the landholding upper class, Senators, who served for life, strongly influenced the republic’s laws. Consuls were nominated to supervise the business of government and command the armies. Consuls could only serve one term. This was the way that Romans could enforce checks and balances in government.

Roman Senators : 

Roman Senators

The Romans establish a Republic : 

The Romans establish a Republic In time, the plebeians gained the right to elect their own official, tribunes, to protect their interests. Tribunes could veto those laws that they felt were harmful to plebeians. In 450 B.C. the laws were inscribed onto tablets and placed in Rome’s marketplace for all to see.

The Roman Republic Grows : 

The Roman Republic Grows By about 270 B.C., Rome controlled most of the Italian peninsula. Much of their success was due to the military legion that was made up of 5,000 men. Romans generally treated its defeated enemies with justice. Conquered people had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes, and supply soldiers for the Roman army. In return, Rome let them keep their own customs, money, and local government.

Roman Society : 

Roman Society The family was the basic unit. The male was the head of the household. Roman women could own property, run a variety of businesses, but most worked at home raising a family. Children from the upper class learned to read and write. Often parents would hire Greek tutors to teach their children.

Roman Society : 

Roman Society Romans believed in numerous god and goddesses, many of which they adapted from the Greek religion. Zeus=Jupiter Hera=Juno Poseidon=Neptune The Roman calendar was full of celebrations to honor the gods and goddesses.

The Punic Wars : 

The Punic Wars Three battles fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 B.C. to 146 B.C. In the first Punic Wars, Rome defeated Carthage and won the islands of Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia. The second Punic War caught the Romans off guard. The Carthaginians attacked through the Pyrenees rather than from the south. The war lasted 15 years.

The Punic Wars : 

The Punic Wars The Carthaginians won battle after battle, but never captured Rome itself. In the end the Romans outflanked the Carthaginians. Carthage gave up all its lands outside of Africa. The Third Punic War completely destroyed Carthage and the survivors were killed or sold into slavery.

Hannibal and the Punic Wars : 

Hannibal and the Punic Wars

Ruling in the Mediterranean : 

Ruling in the Mediterranean The Romans were committed to the policy of imperialism, or establishing control over foreign lands and peoples. While Rome fought Carthage in the west, it was also expanding into the eastern Mediterranean. It was there that the Romans confronted the Hellenistic rulers who had divided up the empire of Alexander the Great.

Ruling in the Mediterranean : 

Ruling in the Mediterranean Wealthy families bought up huge estates, or latifundia, and as the Romans conquered more and more lands, they forced more people captured in war to work as slaves on the latifundia. The widespread use of slave labor hurt small farmers, who were unable to produce food as cheaply as the latifundia could.

Ruling in the Mediterranean : 

Ruling in the Mediterranean Two brothers, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, were among the first to attempt reform. The reforms of the Gracchus brothers angered the senate, which saw them as a great threat to its power. They, along with thousands of their followers, were killed in waves of street violence by senators and their hired thugs.

Causes and Effects : 

Causes and Effects

The Roman Republic Declines : 

The Roman Republic Declines Due to unresolved problems, Rome plunged into a series of civil wars. The major issue was who should hold the power in government- the senate or the popular political leaders.

Julius Caesar : 

Julius Caesar Out of the chaos of the civil wars came an ambitious military commander, Julius Caesar. In 58 B.C., Caesar set out to make new conquests. In the nine years that he was campaigning, he only lost two battles. Caesar rose up against Pompey, another ruling general and forced the Roman senate to make him dictator and absolute ruler.

Julius Caesar : 

Julius Caesar Between 48 B.C. and 44 B.C., Caesar pushed through a number of reforms intended to deal with Rome’s many problems. He launched a program of public works to employ the jobless. He reorganized the government of the provinces and granted Roman citizenship to more people. He introduced a calendar based on the Egyptian calendar.

Julius Caesar : 

Julius Caesar In March of 44 B.C., Julius Caesar’s enemies stabbed him to death. Rome plunged into a new round civil wars.

The New Roman Empire : 

The New Roman Empire After Octavian defeated Mark Antony, he was given the title of Augustus, or Exalted One. Under Augustus, the 500-year-old republic came to an end. Augustus laid the foundation of a stable government. He opened up high-level jobs for men of all classes. He allowed cities and provinces to Rome to have a self-government.

The New Roman Empire : 

The New Roman Empire Augustus also undertook economic reforms. He ordered a census, population count, of the empire so there would be records of all who should be taxed. He set up a postal service. He issued coins to make trade easier. He put many of the jobless to work. His government functioned for 200 years.

The New Roman Empire : 

The New Roman Empire Hadrian codified the Roman law, making it the same for all provinces. He built a wall across Britain to hold back attackers from the non-Roman north. Pax Romana, or “Roman Peace” was a 200 year span that began with Augustus and ended with Marcus Aurelius. During that time, Roman rule brought peace, order, unity, and prosperity to lands stretching from the Euphrates River in the east to Britain in the west.

Moving from Republic to Empire : 

Moving from Republic to Empire

The Rise of Christianity : 

The Rise of Christianity The Christian religion grew fast during the A.D. 380s and A.D. 390s. In 63 B.C., some conservative Jews, called Zealots, called other Jews to revolt against Rome and reestablish an independent state. In A.D. 66, there was a Jewish rebellion. Within four years, Roman forces crushed the rebels, captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the Jewish temple. The Jews were deflated and left Judea.

Jesus : 

Jesus Jesus was born about 4 B.C. in Bethlehem. He was a descendant of King David of Israel. He grew up in the small town of Nazareth. Jesus began preaching at the age of 30. He chose 12 apostles to travel with him to spread the message. His teachings were deeply rooted in Jewish tradition.

Jesus : 

Jesus He was monotheistic. He preached obedience to the laws of Moses, the Ten Commandments and defended the teachings of the Jewish prophets. He emphasized God’s love and taught the need for justice, morality, forgiveness, and service to others. He was not liked by all. He was seen by some as one who would lead the rebels in a rebellion against Roman rule.

Christianity spreads : 

Christianity spreads Even after Jesus’ death, his apostles continued to spread his message. Peter is known for spreading Christianity across Rome. Paul was one of the most influential in spreading the message. Paul spread the message from Asia Minor to Greece and around the Mediterranean. He explained difficult doctrines, judged disputes, and expanded Christian teachings, emphasizing that Jesus had sacrificed his life out of love for humankind.

Oppression of Christians : 

Oppression of Christians Rome had been tolerant of religions, but not of Christianity. Roman officials found the Christians to be disloyal to Rome because they refused to honor the emperor with sacrifices or ask the traditional gods to protect the Roman state. Several Christians became martyrs, they were killed or suffered because of their beliefs.

Oppression of Christians : 

Oppression of Christians The persecution of Christians finally ended in A.D. 313, when the emperor, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan. This granted freedom of worship to all citizens of the Roman empire. Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire and repressed the practice of other religions.

The Early Church : 

The Early Church To join the church you had to be baptized. Each Sunday they gathered together for a ceremony of thanksgiving to God. Only men were able to become clergy. Divisions began to arise. Rivalries between patriarchs developed. The emergence of heresies, or beliefs said to be contrary to official church teachings, also cause division.

The Early Church : 

The Early Church They defined the word theology: talk or discourse about God. Augustine, an early church scholar, combined Christian doctrine with Greco-Roman learning.