the rise of christianity and the fall of
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OBJECTIVES:
Explain reasons for the emergence of Christianity in Ancient Rome
Identify the cause of the decline of the Roman Empire
Describe the changes made by Diocletian and Constantine
Explain how the Western Roman Empire fell (Cause and Effect)
WHAT WAS SO GREAT ABOUT ROME?
At the time when Jesus was born between 4 and 6 B.C.E.. The Empire of Rome was at it’s peak.
Romans had made advances in science, architecture, math, government, and philosophy
Rome had a representative Senate that was led by an emperor
CHRISTIANITY AND ROMEWhat impact did Christianity have on Rome?
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
The Romans had a law which required Roman citizens to make a sacrifice to the Emperor because the Romans believed that he was divine (or a god).
However, one group was exempt from sacrifice – The Jews – The Roman government allowed the Jews to practice their own religion. However, the Jews did not have political freedom.
THE HEBREWS
The Hebrews or Jews were a group of people who believed that there was only one God and that someday they would rule their own homeland. They also believed that a messiah or divinely appointed king, would be sent by God to lead them to freedom.
Some people believed that Jesus was the Messiah
THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS Jesus was born between 4
and 6 B.C.E. in Judea, an area of Palestine.
What is known about Jesus was written by his followers after his death in documents called “Gospels”.
When Jesus was 30 years old he began to teach that one should love God, one’s neighbor, and one’s enemies.
Jesus’ teachings were popular among the poor and spread quickly.
JESUS’ BIRTH PLACE
Palestine Judea Province
THE GOSPELS
The Gospels state that Jesus healed a blind man, healed the sick, and performed other miracles
Some Jews believed that Jesus was going to lead an uprising against the Romans. However, Jesus did not believe in using force to spread his message
Jewish and Roman officials became concerned about the growing influence of Jesus. The Gospels reported that Jesus was betrayed , arrested, sentenced by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, and crucified.
DO NOW:
Tell a classmate why you think Rome fell.
Why did Rome fall?
Too Large to Maintain
Weak Economy Dependence on Slavery
Poor Agriculture
Corrupt Government
Invasions
Weak Military
Decline in Education
Rise of Christianity
THE FALL OF ROME
After the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 C.E. Rome was showing several signs of weakness Rome Suffered Economically, Militarily, and Politi
cally Agriculture became weak Too large to maintain Invasions Rise of Christianity
CONFLICTS BETWEEN ROME AND THE CHRISTIANS
Roman government required that everyone treat the emperor as a god.
Christian beliefs were dangerous to the well-being of the Roman Empire.
Christianity grew in strength and the Roman empire became weaker.
The weaker the empire became the more Christianity was appealing to many people.
CONSTANTINE
313 C.E. Constantine takes control of the Roman Empire
He initiated two significant reforms: 1- He brought an end to all attacks on Christians
– played a key role in the growth and spread of Christianity
2 – Moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium which signified the switch in power from Western to Eastern Rome
After his death the Western part of the empire declined
MILITARY AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS
The military had severe problems with soldiers
Soldiers began to express loyalty to individual military leaders and not the empire as a whole
Political leaders became more interested in advancing themselves than performing their duties in government
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DIFFICULTIES
During the 2nd C. Rome stopped expanding No new conquest = no new income = higher
taxes= hardship for Roman citizens Less education Communication became difficult People became less informed about civil matters
DECLINE IN AGRICULTURE
Over farming and constant warfare
Slave labor added to the problem – Romans were less likely to invest in farming technology
Romans suffered from disease and hunger and the population declined
THE EMPIRE IS TOO LARGE: DIOCLETIAN AND THE SPLIT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Rome suffered a result of the growing size of the empire Starvation Lack of control along the border Internal revolts Invasion
In 284 C.E. Diocletian became emperor His policies:
He believed the empire was too large for one leader to control and split the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern sections
Invasio
n!
Invasions!
In 375 The Huns attacked and terrorized areas of Rome and Germanic tribes
In 378 The Visigoths began attacking the Romans. The Romans counter attacked but were defeated at the Battle of Adrianople – Very Significant!!
ROME LOST!!
In 410 the Visigoths attacked and looted the city of Rome
In 476 A German leader took control of Rome – this signifies the official Fall of Rome
In 455 another German tribe raided Rome – The Vandals
In 486 – Clovis, the leader of the Franks, invaded the final territory of Rome, Gaul, and established a Frankish Kingdom
Why did Rome fall?
Too Large to Maintain
Weak Economy Dependence on Slavery
Poor Agriculture
Corrupt Government
Invasions
Weak Military
Decline in Education
Rise of Christianity
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