How Did Religion Change Throughout The Roman Empire

For thousands upon thousands of years, Rome had been dominated by paganism and personal cult religions. However, by the end of the Empire, when Constantine made it legal, Christianity had usurped paganism and cult religions as the dominant religion. To understand the change switch in religious practices and beliefs, it is necessary to look back at the culture and social structure of Rome. Rome began as a small village of cattle farmers doing trade along the Tiber River. As is typical for early, rural cultures, the main religion that formed was a belief, primarily, in spirits and their ability to affect everyday life. Thus, it was necessary for the farmers to perform rituals to appease or trick the spirits. These rural roots stayed with Rome
One of the main reasons that allowed Rome was able to flourish was the generous giving of citizenship. That citizenship along with the factor of wealth decided a person social status. Slaves were not considered to have much worth socially. There was disparity of power between the rich and the poor. The rich were always wary of the gatherings of the poor, uneducated for fear of revolt. This disparity in power was evident in the political structure. During the centuries of the Roman Empire, there were many changes in the governing. A monarchy became an oligarchy which became a military dictatorship which became emperor rule. However, throughout that whole history, the rich remained on top, and the poor remained lesser. During this time, Romans still believed in spirits, but they had also absorbed a lot of Greek mythology. Strict observance of religious rituals were continued by the state. By the time Christianity began, many cult religious deities (e.g. Mithras) and rituals had risen in prominence. These religions grew alongside the old religion. Christianity, on the other hand, came in as a cult religion that defied tradition and declared only one true God. This ostracized it from all of the other state and cult religions. This set Christianity to dominate rather than merely flourish in