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Christianity in the Roman Empire In a distant province of Rome, a trial was causing the Roman governor a headache. Pliny the younger was a wealthy senator, and a refined man of letters. In AD 111, near the waters of the Black Sea, a tricky case was brought before him that would prove to be a nuisance. When Pliny was touring the province to hear legal cases, a group of people of been brought before him and denounced buy some locals. Their alleged crime? Being Christians. Pliny gave them every opportunity to prove their innocence. However, when he interrogated them, some confessed that they followed Christ. So Pliny gave them another chance and reminded them of the punishment for their confession: death. After the second and third interrogations, the people refused to take back their belief in Jesus Christ. The governor was left with no choice. The Roman citizens were sent to Rome to be given an official Roman trial. The non-citizens were executed on the spot. Pliny continued to have problems with these Christians who continued to break the law. He had a series of letters with Emperor Trajan. The letters reveal how the persecution and execution of Christians was an accept practice in the empire. This was not the first time Christians were persecuted in the empire. 64 AD - Looking to avoid the accusation that he himself had started the great fire of Rome in order to build a new palace, Nero famously had Christians crucified or burnt in the gardens of his residence. Worshiping the Christian God and not the traditional Roman gods was simply intolerable. Trials were brought against Christians. If found guilty, the unfortunate believers in this religion were treated no better than criminals and prisoners of war. Indeed the often met a similar end, A gruesome death in the Roman arena. In spite of the hostility and penalties they experienced, Christianity grew and grew. In 303, The Christians faced their greatest persecution yet. The emperor Diocletian issued a law ordering churches to be destroyed, scriptures to be burnt, and some Christians to be removed from their jobs and made slaves. Constantine was a man who was pushing for control of the Roman empire. However he needed to defeat is enemies to take full control. Before one of his battles, Constantine had a vision. At noon, under a bright blue sky, the general saw a shining cross, and inscribed upon it, and instruction: "By this sign, you will conquer." Just before battle he made a radical, last-minute change of plan. All the soldiers to market if shields in white paint with a sign need to Greek letters - chi-ro (XP) - the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ (Kristos). Constantine and his soldiers had overwhelming victories with the shields painted with the sign of Christ. Sign of Christ put on soldiers’ shields. Constantine would soon control the Roman Empire. Constantine would be known as the first emperor to defend the Christian faith. A new law was also created under Constantine. The edict of Milan was a document that recognized freedom of belief. As a result the persecution of Christians was now outlawed. Buy 324 Christianity would become the official religion of the Roman Empire. Constantine's decision to support Christianity was perhaps the single most influential turning point in Roman history and possibly world history. It was because of Constantine's conversion that Christianity thrive throughout the Roman empire and transformed itself into the world religion that it is today. He would die in 337 and asked to be baptized on his deathbed, officially becoming a Christian himself.