Download Christianity is derived from “Christ”

The Rise of Christianity
Section 3
The Life and Teachings
of Jesus

Rome took control
of Judea, the Jewish
kingdom, and made
it a province
 Many Jews believed
that they would be
freed again by a
Messiah
Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus of Nazareth Continued…



Born in Bethlehem
Raised in Nazareth
Age 30, began
public ministry
 Preached
 Taught
 Did good works
Jesus of Nazareth Continued…


Performed miracles
Taught ideas about
Jewish tradition




Monotheism
Ten Commandments
Personal
relationship with
God
Eternal kingdom
after death
A Growing Movement

The Gospels, first
four books of the
New Testament,
give information
about his teachings
 Written by some of
Jesus’ disciples
 12 disciples become
known as apostles
Jesus’ Death

Jesus’ popularity
worried both Roman
and Jewish leaders





In Jerusalem crowds
called him the Messiah
Jewish priests
denounced him
Pontius Pilate said
Jesus defied Roman
authority
Pilate arrested Jesus
He was crucified
Jesus’ Death
Continued…


Three days later he is said
to have ascended into
heaven
He became known as Jesus
Christ
 Christos is a Greek
word meaning
“messiah”
 Christianity is derived
from “Christ”
Christianity Spreads Through the Empire
• First followers were Jews
• New religion began to form
Paul’s Mission

Paul was able to spread the
word of God because…



He wrote the Epistles,
influential letters


During the time of Pax
Romana, it was safe to
exchange of ideas
Common languages
Said Jesus was the son of
God who died for people's
sins
Also said Christianity should
welcome everyone, Jew or
Gentile (non-Jew)
Jewish Rebellion
 66 A.D. Jews rebelled against
Rome
 70 A.D. Romans stormed
Jerusalem and destroyed the
Temple
 Only Western portion of wall
remains
 Holiest Jewish shrine
 Panorama of the Western Wall with the Dome of the
Rock (left) and al-Aqsa mosque (right) in the
background
 According to Sunni Islamic
tradition, the rock is the
spot from which
Muhammad ascended to
Heaven accompanied by the
angel Gabriel. Further,
Muhammad was taken here
by Gabriel to pray with
Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
Jewish Rebellion Continued…

Centuries of
Jewish exile
followed
 This time is called
Diaspora (dī-as-p(ə-)rə )

Meaning
“dispersal”
Persecution of the Christians




Christians refused to
worship Roman gods
Pax Romana was
ending
Christians began being
persecuted
Some people became
martyrs

Definition: people willing
to sacrifice their lives for
a belief or cause
A World Religion

Five reasons why
Christianity grew
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Embraced all people
Gave hope to the
powerless
Appeal against the
extravagance of
imperial Rome
Personal relationship
with God
Eternal life after death
Constantine (tēn) Accepts
Christianity
 312 A.D.
 Roman emperor
Constantine fought for
leadership of Rome
 Before a big battle he saw
an image of a cross
 Symbol put on soldiers'
shields and they won
Constantine Accepts Christianity
Continued…

313 A.D.
Constantine
announced an
end to
persecuting
Christians
 380 emperor
Theodosius made
it the official
religion
Early Christian Church

Structure of Christianity


Priest
Bishop


Some bishops said
Peter was the first Pope


Apostle Peter was the
first one
They said whoever was a
bishop of Rome was the
leader of the whole
Church
Rome was the capital
and center of the
Church
Vatican City
A Single Voice





Disagreements occur over
beliefs
If people went against the
basic teachings, it was
called heresy
A set of standard beliefs
were compiled, called the
New Testaments
Constantine called Church
leaders to Nicaea in Anatolia
Nicene Creed was written
 Defined the basic beliefs
of the Church
The Fathers
of the Church

Definition: Early
writers and
scholars

Augustine, bishop
of Hippo in North
Africa

Wrote The City of
God
Section 4
Fall of the Roman Empire
A Century of Crisis

End of reign of
Marcus Aurelius
ended Pax Romana
 Next rulers didn’t
know how to run
such a large empire
Rome’s Economy Weakens
• Trade disrupted
– Hostile tribes
• Lacked new sources of gold and
silver, taxes were raised
• Inflation incurred
– Coins minted that contained less
silver. Value of money dropped
• Less harvested
– Soil destroyed. Why?
• Food shortages, disease and less
population occurred.
Military and Political Turmoil

Soldiers less
disciplined and
loyal


Gave allegiance not to
Rome but to their
commanders
Mercenaries
recruited

What are they?

Citizen’s loyalty
lessened

No longer willing to die for the
Empire
Emperors Attempt Reform
Diocletian Reforms the Empire
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Restored order to empire
Doubled size of army
Set fixed prices on goods
Presented himself in
godlike aura
Divided empire into two
parts

East and West





The larger cities were
in the East and seen
as more powerful
Had a co-ruler
After he left office, civil
war broke out
4 fought for control of
empire
Who was one of these?
Constantine Moves the Capital





Constantine gains
Western part of empire
Continued Diocletian's
policies
 Then he secured the
East
Moved capital from Rome
to Byzantium
 Power now in the East
City takes the name
Constantinople
After Constantine's death,
empire divided again with
East surviving, West
failing
The Western Empire Crumbles
Western Roman
Empire’s decline
happened over many
years
Final collapse caused
by


1.
2.
3.
Internal problems
Separation from
wealthier Eastern part
Outside invasions
Germanic Invasions



Germanic people lived in
peace on the northern
borders of the empire
Mongol nomads, the Huns
began attacking from the
north forcing the
Germanic people into
Roman lands
 They were called
“barbarians” meaning
non-Roman
These Germans overran
Rome
Attila the Hun

Huns become a threat
by uniting under Attila


Attacked both Eastern
and Western empires



100,000 soldiers
Constantinople's walls
couldn’t be scaled.
Famine and disease caused
them not to take Rome
Attila dies
 Huns are not a threat,
but Germanic people
still are
An Empire No More

Last Roman Emperor



Romulus Augustus, kicked
out by Germans in 476 A.D.
No one ruled in Western
empire
Eastern empire became
the Byzantine Empire
 Ruled from
Constantinople


Ruled for over 1,000 years
Empire ended in 1453
falling to the Ottoman
Turks
Section 5
Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization
The Legacy of Greco-Roman
Civilization

Mixing of Greek, Hellenistic and Roman
culture
 Also called classical civilization
 Artists, philosophers and writers created
their own style as well
Roman Fine Arts

Roman sculpture
more realistic

Practical in purpose,
used for education
Roman Fine Arts Continued
• Developed bas-relief sculpture
– Images project from a flat background
Roman Fine Arts Continued
• Created mosaics and frescos which could be
found in villas
Roman Fine Arts Continued
• What was found in Pompeii?
Learning (Philosophy) and Literature

Borrowed from
Greeks
 Philosophy
 Stoicism
 Literature
 Created own
themes and ideas
Learning (Philosophy) and Literature Cont.d’




Virgil
 Wrote the Aeneid,
epic of Aeneas,
based on Homer’s
works
Ovid
 Wrote light poetry,
 Amores
Livy
 Wrote about the
myth of Rome
Tacitus wrote about true
history
 Annals and
Histories: good and
bad of Rome
The Legacy of Rome

Still felt daily in the
Western world
The Latin Language

Official language of
the Roman Catholic
Church
 More than half the
words in English
have Latin basis
Master Builders

Arch, dome and concrete
 Aqueduct
 Roads
 Colosseum
Roman System of Law

Standards of justice
established


Early Roman law dealt
with strengthening the
rights of citizens
See page 183 for the
five you need to be
familiar with
Rome’s Enduring Influence

Western cultural
tradition
strengthened
 Other cultures were
developing at this
same time


India: Mauryan
and Gupta
empires
China: Han Empire