Rome and the Rise of Christianity

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The Emergence of Rome

a. Early Rome (753-509 BC) was under 7 king, of which 2 were Etruscan, where Rome was
influenced by them.
i.
In 509 BC Rome established a republic, a govt. form where the
leader isnt a monarch and certain citizens have the right to vote.
b. First, the new republic was surrounded by enemies and engaged in warfare for 200 yrs.
By 264 BC, the Romans overthrew the Greeks and over the next 3 year they overthrew Etruscans and
conquered Italy.
i.
Established Roman Confed. to rule, which let some of the locals have
citizenship.
c. After they conquered Italy, they faced Carthage, which was founded in 800 BC on the
North African Coast and included much of the Mediterranean,
i.
Rome fought 3 wars w/ Carthage, beginning in 264 BC. The 2nd war,
Rome came close to disaster because of Hannibal, Carthages greatest general.Finally Rome had
control of the Mediterranean, after beating Carthage in 146 BC and Hellenistic States in 129 BC.
The Roman State
a. Rome had patricians, who were wealthy landowners, and Romes ruling class. Plebeians
were less wealthy landowners and commoners.
b. Head of govt.= 2 consuls, who led army and govt, and the praetors, who applied civil law
and judge cases.
i.
The Roman Senate was of 300 patricians. Also, the centuriate
assembly elected people and was organized by wealth.
c. There was struggle btw. the classes, like Plebeians couldnt marry patricians. But, in 471
BC, the tribunes of the plebs protected plebeians. By 287 BC all males were supposedly equal, but Rome
wasnt a democracy.
From Republic to Empire
a. In 2nd cen. BC the Senate governed the state and by 1st cen BC, Rome began to have
armies loyal to the general, not the Roman state.
b. From (82-31 BC) Julius Caesar, took control of the Roman world. From 31 BC- AD 14
the Age of Augustus began with Octavian having the title, Augustus. He was popular and a general. He was
the imperator (emperor).
The Early Empire (AD 14-180)
a. After, Augustus there were 4 corrupt emperors, but after there was a series of 5 Good
Emperors, which were Nerva Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.
i.
The time during their rule is called the Pax Romana, or period of
Roman Peace. (AD 96-180)
1. During this time there was infrastructure, welfare,
and respect.
b. The Early Empire was prosperous and focused on trade.
Roman Law
a. The Twelve Tables (450 BC), was built off of to fit the sophisticated new empire.
i.
The Law of Nations was based on natural law and uses standards of
justice used today.
Slavery in the Roman Empire
a. Slaves were used commonly wor different things. e.g. Greeks were tutors
i.
Since the conditions were pitiful, there was a slave revolt in 73 BC
and was led by Spartacus.
Daily Life in the City of Rome
a. Rome was overcrowded and noisy.
i.
The wealthy lived in lavish villas, while the poor lived in apts. called
insulae that were poorly built, so Romans spent a lot of time in the streets,
b. Rome had public buildings that exhibited grandeur, and provided public entertainment,
and provided food for citizens.
i.
Even though 200,00 received grain, but many were still poor.
Roman Culture

a.

The most distinguished poet of Augustan Age was Virgil, who wrote the Aeneid, in honor

of Rome
b. Romans took art inspiration from the Greeks, and also excelled in architecture.
The Emergence of Christianity
a. First, there was a Jewish revolt in AD 66, but was crushed. But before, Jesus preached to
Judea, which later became a part of Rome. He was crucified because Rome thought he would cause a revolt.
He was a Messiah.
J. The Spread of Christianity
a. Christianity began as a movement in Judaism. The apostles, like Paul spread
Christianitys message
i.
These messages were spread through Asia Minor orally, until AD 70100 when, the New Testament was written.
1. Rome began to persecuting Christians under the
reign of Nero (AD 54-68), because they would not worship state gods
K. The Triumph of Christianity
a. The Christian faith became more organized throughout the 3rd cen. when bishops
assumed control.
i.
The new church structure was where the clergy (leaders) had a diff.
function from the laity.
b. Constantine became the 1st Christian emperor in the 4th cen. In 313 he made the Edict
of Milan, which legalized Christianity.
i.
Theodosius the Great made Christianity the official religion of Rome.
L. The Decline
a. The last good emperor died in 180 AD, which led to civil wars, and after that, Diocletian
and Constantine began the Late Roman Empire
i.
Diocletian (284-305) divided the empire in 4 units, and Constantine
(306-337) continued.
1. They expanded the army an allowed German
mercenaries. Their reforms drained funds.
ii.
By 324 Constantine ruled alone, and made the capital
Constantinople, which would become the center of the Eastern Roman Empire.
M. The Fall
a. After Constantine died, the empire was split into western and eastern
i.
The Western R.E. was invaded by Germanic tribes like the Visgoths
and the Huns.
1. In 378 and 410 the Visgoths crushed the Romans.
2. The Vandals also sacked Rome in 410 and 455,
coming from Northern Africa.
b. Rome officially fell in 476 when Romulus Augustus, was desposed by the Germanic
army.
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