A. Remember (Things we have already learned)

› 1. Rome began as a small city-state in 509 BCE as

a Republic

› 2. Rome became an imperialistic empire and

conquered lands around the Mediterranean

› 3. bread and circuses hide the huge problem

created by Latifundias and wealthy landowners

(slave labor)

4. more social, economic, political, and military

problems develop

A. Remember (Things we have already learned)

› 5. Diocletian divides the Roman Empire into an

eastern and western half

a. keeps wealthier, healthier eastern half for himself

b. left western, poorer half to collapse

A. Remember (Things we have already learned)

› 6. Constantine

a. legalized Christianity in 313 CE with Edict of Milan

b. moves Roman capital from Rome to

Constantinople in the east

A. Remember (Things we have already learned)

› 7. western Rome falls to invasions by the Germanic

tribes and Huns

› 8. Eastern Roman empire remains (now called the

Byzantine Empire)

a. Greek (instead of Latin)-speaking Romans with

Constantinople as their capital

b. lasts from 289 CE to 1453 CE; until Turkish (Muslim)

conquest

B. Religious Diversity in the Roman Empire

› 1. traditional polytheistic Roman religion (similar to

Greeks)

› 2. Cult of Isis (mostly for women)

a. stressed equality of men and women

› 3. Mithriasim from Persia (mostly for soldiers)

a. offered a life after death if “good”

b. punished those who were “bad”

› 4. Roman religious toleration

a. generally tolerant of others religions if:

i. honored Roman gods and emperors too

C. Divisions in Judea

› 1. in 63 BCE, Rome conquered Judea (the

homeland of Jews)

› 2. Jews believe in one god (monotheistic)

C. Divisions in Judea

› 3. Rome excuses Jews from worshipping Roman

gods and emperor

› 4. many Jews worried that their religion was

embracing too many new ideas (Greek and other)

a. Jewish communities call for strict obedience to

Torah and local religious leaders

b. Zealots called for a forceful removal of non-Jews

(Romans)

c. many Jews began to wait and hope for the

prophesized messiah, an anointed king sent by god

D. The Jewish Revolt

› 1. in 66 CE, Romans destroy Solomon’s Temple

› 2. within 100 years, Jerusalem is destroyed

a. 1,000s sold as slaves

b. Jewish diaspora; scattering of Jews from their

homeland

E. Make a Prediction:

› What do you think it would be like to grow up in Jerusalem during the time period (c. 100 CE)

mentioned above?

A. Christianity was a new religion that began in this time of chaos

› 1. Jesus is considered the founder of Christianity

› 2. what is known about Jesus comes from the

Gospels, “the good news”

a. Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John are the first four

books of the New Testament in the Bible

b. written by people much later than the time of

Jesus who didn’t know him first hand

B. Life of Jesus

› 1. born around 4

BCE in Bethlehem

(near Jerusalem)

› 2. supposedly a direct descendant

of King David

› 3. Jesus was Jewish

B. Life of Jesus

› 4. not much is known from “miracle birth” to the

age of 30 when he begins to preach

› 5. Jesus recruited 12 Apostles (a person sent forth

in Greek) which were close followers

› 6. the speeches of Jesus and his apostles attracted

large numbers of followers

a. taught with parables (short stories with a moral

lesson)

b. returned to Jerusalem after 3 years of preaching

and traveling

C. Jesus’ Message › 1. based on both Jewish

and Greek teachings

› 2. 1 god / Ten Commandments

› 3. but many ideas were new and revolutionary

a. offered to bring spiritual salvation and eternal life to anyone who would believe in him and his father/god

b. love, not hate

c. sharing, not greed

d. stressed the importance of forgiveness

D. Jesus’ Death

› 1. many loved and followed Jesus, but many more

did not

› 2. seen as a trouble maker

a. Jewish leaders thought Jesus would take away

their influence and power

b. Rome saw potential revolution and was cautious

› 3. Jesus was turned in to the Jewish/Roman authorities for temple incident

D. Jesus’ Death

› 4. he was crucified (nailed or hung on a wooden

cross)

› 5. Jesus’ followers believed he came back from

the dead before going to heaven

A. Jews became the first “Christians”

› 1. to them, Jesus was the Christ; the anointed one

B. Apostles spread Jesus’ teachings

› 1. Peter (the Rock) went all the way to Rome itself;

then crucified in Rome

› 2. Paul

a. born as Saul in Asia Minor; killed early Christians

b. has a dream and converts to Christianity; takes the

name Paul

c. spreads word to non-Jews called Gentiles

d. helped to make Christianity a “world” religion from

Mesopotamia to Rome

i. wrote texts, explained and debated discrepancies, and expanded teachings

C. Roman Resistance and Persecution of early Christians

› 1. Why?

a. seen as different and anti-Roman

b. wouldn’t make sacrifices to Roman gods and

emperor

c. met in secret; seemed suspicious

› 2. many early Christians became martyrs,

someone who suffers and/or dies for their beliefs

a. both Peter and Paul die as martyrs during Nero’s

reign

D. Reasons for Christianity’s Appeals › 1. Jesus had welcomed all (poor, oppressed, and

unwanted)

› 2. message of love and peace in a world with little of both

› 3. stressed equality, dignity, and life after death

› 4. similar to Greek teachings of Plato and Aristotle; so people were familiar

› 5. missionaries traveled on Roman roads, speeding up conversions

› 6. early Christians spoke/wrote in Greek and Latin; languages everyone knew

› 7. martyrs’ faith converted others “The blood of the martyr is the seeds of the Christian Church” –

Roman observer

› 8. Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 CE legalizes ALL religions within Roman Empire a. 80 years later, emperor Theodosius makes Christianity the

official religion of Rome

A. early Christian communities were very different from one another; some similarities: › 1. baptism marks entrance

into faith

› 2. Eucharist (ritual bread and wine)

B. women were very important as early Christian leaders › 1. lose power as Christian

Church expands

C. Structure of the Church

D. Divisions in the Early Christian Church › 1. rivalry begins between patriarchs of Rome and the

east

› 2. Latin-speaking Popes claim “papal supremacy” – rule over all Christians

a. the other five Greek-speaking patriarchs shared power in the east

› 3. Heresies and Heretics

a. teachings (and the teachers who teach them) contrary to the accepted Christian teachings i. as determined at the Council of Nicaea among other formal

meetings

› 4. Theology

a. many later Christians begin to add and offer different interpretations of the original message of Jesus