Christianity in Rome
Christianity and the Roman Empire
Religion played a key role in the daily life and social system of Ancient Rome. Religion included the worship of many gods and more gods were often adopted from conquered areas. Because most religions were polytheist at the time, the Romans rarely disallowed a cult from a conquered region to continue. A few cults ran into controversy and opposition from citizens or government, such as the cult of Deus Sol Invictus, and that of Isis. Romans were also not keen on monotheistic religion which explains their separation from the Jews. But above all other religions, the Romans disagreed with, persecuted and were threatened most by Christianity. The introduction of Christianity to the Roman Empire challenged a key cohesive element of Roman custom and culture -- religion -- and ultimately contributed to the Empire 's disintegration. Christianity first appeared in the Western reaches of the empire, in the province of Judea. Although its beginnings were in a remote fringe province, the ideology began, spread and grew to be a formidable institution under Roman rule. There seems to be little report of the original disputes with Jesus Christ himself, however there is documentation of later reports of the spread of Christianity. By the 2nd century Christianity claimed almost 50,000 followers (as can be estimated). However the Romans knew little of the movement1. One of the first documentations we have comes from Pliny, when he is Governor of a province in modern day Turkey2; It is correspondence between him and Emperor Trajan, requesting advice for the issue of this new Christian cult which has been a disturbance to locals “They [the Christians] also declared that the sum total of their guilt or error amounted to no more than this; they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately among themselves in honor of Christ as if to a god, and also to bind themselves by oath…After this ceremony it has been their
Religion played a key role in the daily life and social system of Ancient Rome. Religion included the worship of many gods and more gods were often adopted from conquered areas. Because most religions were polytheist at the time, the Romans rarely disallowed a cult from a conquered region to continue. A few cults ran into controversy and opposition from citizens or government, such as the cult of Deus Sol Invictus, and that of Isis. Romans were also not keen on monotheistic religion which explains their separation from the Jews. But above all other religions, the Romans disagreed with, persecuted and were threatened most by Christianity. The introduction of Christianity to the Roman Empire challenged a key cohesive element of Roman custom and culture -- religion -- and ultimately contributed to the Empire 's disintegration. Christianity first appeared in the Western reaches of the empire, in the province of Judea. Although its beginnings were in a remote fringe province, the ideology began, spread and grew to be a formidable institution under Roman rule. There seems to be little report of the original disputes with Jesus Christ himself, however there is documentation of later reports of the spread of Christianity. By the 2nd century Christianity claimed almost 50,000 followers (as can be estimated). However the Romans knew little of the movement1. One of the first documentations we have comes from Pliny, when he is Governor of a province in modern day Turkey2; It is correspondence between him and Emperor Trajan, requesting advice for the issue of this new Christian cult which has been a disturbance to locals “They [the Christians] also declared that the sum total of their guilt or error amounted to no more than this; they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately among themselves in honor of Christ as if to a god, and also to bind themselves by oath…After this ceremony it has been their
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