4.4 Rise of Christianity.notebook

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November 05, 2014

Oct 20­6:51 PM

Rise of ChristianityReligion of the Early Roman Empire

­ The official religion of the Roman Empire = Polytheistic(Many of the Roman Gods were adopted from the Greek Gods)

The Romans believed by worshiping all of the Gods they wouldensure their safety, security, peace & prosperity

*** The Roman Emperors tolerated other religions as long astheir followers recognized and participated in state sponsoredceremonies to the Roman Gods

Oct 20­8:41 PM

Life and Death of Jesus of NazarethJesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) was born andlived in the Roman Province of Judea

­ Jesus was born and raised as a Jew­ The last 3 years of his life, Jesus began preaching that he was the "messiah" or savior of the Jewish people

Jesus' teachings made him an outcast to the Roman Authorities in Judea­ He was arrested and executed by the Romans in 30 AD

Oct 20­8:48 PM

Spread of Christianity

­­ After Jesus' death (& resurrection) his followers carried on his messages and teachings and traveled throughout the Roman Empire

These followers or Apostles would write down "Gospels" (good news) ­ These Gospels were collected and are now the basis of the New Testament in the Bible

Peter and Paul were the most important followers of Jesus ­ Peter spread Christianity into the the capital city of Rome ­ Paul created many Christian settlements throughout the Eastern part of the Roman Empire

Oct 20­9:01 PM

Teachings/Appeal of ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion = believe in only 1 god

Christianity was appealing to ALL people (rich, poor, men, women, & slaves)

­ Promised eternal life/salvation through worship­ Offered a personal connection with a loving God­ Gave meaning to life (live a good life = an afterlife in heaven)­ Emphasized helping your neighbor; especially those who are less fortunate

Due to the great appeal of Christianity and the infrastructure of Rome;Christianity gradually spread throughout the Roman Empire

Oct 20­9:07 PM

Persecution of the Christians­ Since Christianity is a Monotheistic Religion = Christians refused to worship Roman Gods

­ Because the Christians refused to worhsip Roman Gods, they were viewed as being enemies of the Roman Empire

Christians became scapegoats for problems that arose in the Roman Empire (Nero)

Forms of Persecution: Burned alive, crucified, or fed to wild animals

Oct 20­9:15 PM

Rome becomes a Christian Empire

Even though the Christians were persecuted against in Rome, the religion continued to grow strength and popularity in Rome

313 AD = Emperor Constantine ends the persecution of the Christians

­Edict of Milan = Christianity became an approved Religion in the Roman Empire

380 AD = Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

4.4 Rise of Christianity.notebook

2

November 05, 2014

Dec 11­12:05 PM

December 12, 2012

I can . . .

Examine the economic, social and political causes of the fall of Rome

DO NOW: Take out your notes from yesterday

Mar 13­7:31 AM

Fall of the Roman Empire

­Roman trade (Road and Sea) was threatened by outside tribes­The constant fighting drained the money supply

­Lands became overworked, so farmers could not produce enough food

­Taxes increased ­­ people had to give up their land

­­ Wealthy spent money on luxury goods from China, India, and Arabia

Economic Causes

Inflation­­ Value of the Roman money decreased,while prices of goods increased

Mar 19­7:30 AM

Political Causes­ Rome was being threatened by Germanic Tribes from the north and Persian forces from the east­ The Romans increased its enrollment in the army by hiring mercenaries = foreign soldiers, hired to fight for Rome

Nov 20­8:49 AM

284 AD ­­ Diocletian becomes the new emperor of Rome

­ For a very brief period he restored order and strength to the Roman Empire­ Viewed himself as a descendent from the gods and persecuted the Christians

** He believed the empire had grown too large for one person to govern it

­ He divided the empire into two sections; Latin speaking (west) and Greek

speaking (east)

­ Diocletian took control over the eastern half

Mar 19­7:50 AM

Constantine Moves the Capital­ Constantine became emperor of the western half of Rome in 312 AD­ He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to an old Greek city­state called Byzantium­ He renamed the city Constantinople (I wonder why?)­ The center of power shifted from Rome to Constantinople and this will set up the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire

Nov 20­8:54 AM

Western Rome Falls

­ The collapse of the western half of Rome took many years

­ Political instability, Poor rulers, and Germanic invasions were the greatest contributing factors to why western Rome fell

­ In 476 AD, Romulus Augustulus became the last Roman Emperor

­­ He was deposed by a Germanic leader named Odoacer